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Don McKenzie (swimmer)

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Don McKenzie
McKenzie wearing 1968 Olympic gold medals
Personal information
Full nameDonald Ward McKenzie Jr.
Nickname
"Don"
National teamUnited States
Born(1947-05-11)May 11, 1947
Hollywood, California, U.S.
DiedDecember 3, 2008(2008-12-03) (aged 61)
Reno, Nevada, U.S.
Occupation(s)Software design, Real Estate
Height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight176 lb (80 kg)
Spouse
Syd McKenzie
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesBreaststroke
ClubBloomington Swim Club
College teamIndiana University
CoachJames "Doc" Counsilman (Indiana U)
Medal record
Men's swimming
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1968 Mexico City 100 m breaststroke
Gold medal – first place 1968 Mexico City 4x100 m medley relay

Donald Ward McKenzie Jr. (May 11, 1947 – December 3, 2008) was an American competition swimmer, who competed for Indiana University. He was a 1968 two-time Olympic champion, and former world record-holder.[1][2] Highly recognized on the world stage as a breaststroker, at one time he simultaneously held a world record, two Olympic records and five American records.[3]

Donald Ward McKenzie Jr. was born on May 11, 1947 to Donald Ward McKenzie Sr., and Clarice Kendrick McKenzie in Hollywood, California. Don's father Donald Ward Sr. was a Beverly Hill Investment Counselor and a graduate of the University of Southern California. McKenzie Jr. attended and swam for the Grant High School Lancers, where in April, 1965, he helped lead his team to the East Valley League Championship, by winning the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:07.3 and also competing on two winning relay teams.[4][5][6][7] In May, 1965, at the East Valley Swimming Championship, he set a new East Valley League record of 1:04 in the finals of the 100-yard breaststroke, which broke the former league record he had set in the preliminary heats.[8]

Indiana University

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McKenzie attended LA Valley Junior College, and then Indiana University in Bloomington, where he swam for Hall of Fame coach Doc Counsilman's Indiana Hoosiers swimming and diving team in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) competition during the late 1960s. He won an individual NCAA national championship in the 100-yard breaststroke while swimming for the Hoosiers.[9] In the years 1968 and 1969, McKenzie won letters in swimming and swam on first place Big 10 Conference medley relay teams. In 1969, he swam on a championship medley relay team, that won an NCAA championship, and held 100 and 200 breaststroke Big Ten records.[3]

McKenzie completed the U.S. Naval Officer Candidate School.[10]

1968 Mexico City Olympics

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He competed at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, where in an unexpected victory against better known Russian breaststrokers Nikolay Panking, and Vladamir Kosinsky, he received a gold medal for winning the men's 100-meter breaststroke with a time of 1:07.7. In a come from behind finish, he edged out Vladamir Kosinsky by only .3 seconds.[11]

He won a second gold medal as a member of the winning U.S. team in the men's 4×100-meter medley relay. The first-place team of Charlie Hickcox, McKenzie, Doug Russell and Ken Walsh set a new world-record time of 3:54.9 in the event final.[12]

Honors

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McKenzie was inducted as an "Honor Swimmer" into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1989.[13] In 2000, he was inducted into the Indiana University Hall of Fame.[14] He was also inducted posthumously into the Los Angeles Valley College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2011.[15]

McKenzie continued to swim after the Olympics. He became a Masters swimmer with the Sierra Nevada Masters and held the men's 50–54 age group 100-yard national breaststroke record with a 1:01.02 in 1998. His record stood until 2010.[16]

Post-swimming careers

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As the president of Practice Management Services, he created and supported computer software and systems for medical, dental, and small businesses. He was a graduate of the Northern Nevada Real Estate School and was a real estate investor, counselor, and licensee with Remcor in Reno.[4] He enjoyed the Sierra Nevada Masters and the Pacific Masters Swimming groups as well as golfing, skiing, target shooting, wood working, and racing cars.[10]

Don was diagnosed with a Stage IV brain tumor (a glioblastoma) in the summer of 2007.[17] He died at his home on December 3, 2008, due to complications resulting from his brain tumor and was survived by his father and mother, Don and Clarice McKenzie. He was also survived by his wife, Syd McKenzie and children, Amy, Ryan and (Andrea), Anne, Emily, and Amanda McKenzie.[4]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Passages: U.S. Olympic Gold Medalist Don McKenzie, 61". SwimmingWorldMagazine.com. December 10, 2008. Archived from the original on August 25, 2012.
  2. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Don McKenzie". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on July 18, 2012.
  3. ^ a b "University of Indiana Hall of Fame, Don McKenzie". iuhoosiers.com. Retrieved October 16, 2025.
  4. ^ a b c Don W. McKenzie Jr. Obituary: View Don McKenzie's Obituary by Reno Gazette-Journal
  5. ^ "Marriages, Baker-McKenzie Vows are Spoken", The Van Guys News and Valley Greensheet, Van Guys, California, June 12, 1964, pg. 32
  6. ^ "Obituaries, McKenzie, Donald W. Sr.", The Sacramento Bee, Sacramento, California, December 25, 2008, pg. B6
  7. ^ "Grant Swimmers Rip Parrots", The Van Guys News and Valley Green Sheet, Van Guys, California, April 23, 1965, pg. 56
  8. ^ "Grant Outscores Parrots in Swim Finals", The Van Guys News and Valley Green Sheet, Van Guys, California, May 16, 1965, pg. 51
  9. ^ "Indiana University Archives". Archived from the original on October 2, 2016. Retrieved April 15, 2012.
  10. ^ a b "Legacy Obituary, Don W. McKenzie, Jr". legacy.com. Retrieved October 16, 2025.
  11. ^ "Olympedia Biography, Don McKenzie Jr". olypedia.org. Retrieved October 16, 2025.
  12. ^ "1968 Olympics – Mexico City, Mexico – Swimming". databaseOlympics.com. Archived from the original on August 20, 2008. Retrieved May 1, 2008.
  13. ^ "Don McKenzie". ISHOF.org. International Swimming Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on April 11, 2015. Retrieved April 11, 2015.
  14. ^ Honoree: Search Awards: University Honors & Awards: Indiana University
  15. ^ "2011 Hall of Fame - Induction Class Selected!" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 24, 2011.
  16. ^ "USMS Short Course Yard Nationals: National Records Fall In Bunches". Swimming World News. May 23, 2010. Archived from the original on November 18, 2013.
  17. ^ "Glioblastoma". American Brain Tumor Association. Archived from the original on May 22, 2013. Retrieved December 3, 2013.
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