High School:  El Camino​

College:  UCLA

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* Double Olympic Gold Medalist: 400m & 1500 Freestyle (1968, Mexico City)​
* Olympic Gold Medalist: 1500 Freestyle (1972, Munich)​
* 9 International Swimming Medals

​* International Swimming Hall of Fame Honoree (1977)

​* 7 Time World Record Holder

 

Mike Burton was born n Des Moine, Iowa and as young boy he loved playing all sports, especially football and basketball.  What he didn’t like was playing in cold weather.  Mike’s family moved west and landed in Sacramento.  Growing up in North Highlands, Mike was feeling great about his new surroundings and turning into quite an athlete until one day when things changed. 

 

At age 13, Mike was in a devastating accident. While riding his bicycle, he was hit by a furniture truck causing severe damage to his body.  Doctors told Mike he would survive but his playing days were over.  Contact sports such as football and basketball were off the table so Mike ventured into a non-contact sport, Swimming.  Doctors told him he could give it a try but don’t set high expectations. They went so far as telling him he probably wouldn’t’ be very good

 

That was enough motivation for a young, determined teenager, as Mike joined the Arden Hills Swim Club founded by legendary coach Sherm Chavoor.  Mike moved closer to Arden Hills to dedicate himself to his new-found sport and enrolled at El Camino High School.  Mike swam competitively at age 14 and during his time at El Camino he won 10 AAU titles.  He competed at the Nationals at 16 years old and was swimming internationally at the age of 17.

 

Swimming only for three years, Mike qualified for the United States Olympic Trials in 1964. He competed in the 1,500m Freestyle and finished in fifth place, just missing making the Olympic Team.  Mike gained valuable experience and now set his sights on the 1968 Games in Mexico City. Mike and fellow Sacramento Sports Hall of Famer, Debbie Meyer were setting World Records and were the first Sacramentan’s to put the world on notice on what was happening in Sacramento.  

 

Now attending UCLA, Mike won five individual titles from 1967-1970. He was an All-American setting records in the Freestyle and Butterfly events and was a 4-time Pac-10 Champion.  At the 1967 University Games in Tokyo, Mike won a Gold Medal in the 1,500m Freestyle.  Prior to the 1968 Olympics, Mike trained hard and spend 40 days in Colorado Springs preparing for the altitude of Mexico City. His training and work ethic paid off. In those games Mike became legendary winning two individual Gold Medals. Winning these races wasn’t the only thing that stood out but it was the fashion in the way he did it.

 

In the 400m Freestyle, Mike swam at an incredible pace, slicing 10 seconds off his qualifying time and set an Olympic Record of 4 minutes and 9 seconds in winning his first Olympic Gold Medal. Two days later, Mike set another Olympic Record by crushing the field in the 1,500m Freestyle. He won the race by 18 seconds over his closest competitor.   

 

Four years later, Mike was determined again. After his success in Mexico City, Mike was named Captain of Team USA for the 1972 Games in Munich.  Back to defend his Gold in the 1,500m Freestyle, Mike dominated the field again, this time winning by six full seconds, becoming the only American Swimmer ever to repeat as the 1,500m Freestyle Olympic Champion. In doing so, he recaptured the World Record and brought home the Gold Medal once again. 

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After the 1972 Games, Mike retired and followed in his mentors footsteps, becoming a coach. Mike coached for 35 years which included winning an NCAA National Championship at BYU.  Mike will go down as the first great Men’s Olympic Swimming Champion from Sacramento. He blazed the trail for so many of our legendary Americans including his fellow Sacramento Sports Hall of Fame Swimmers, Debbie Meyer, Jeff Float and Summer Sanders.  He is a 7-time World Record Holder and has been inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame, the UCLA Hall of Fame and the Sacramento Sports Hall of Fame.