William Yorzyk facts for kids
Yorzyk in 1956
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Nickname(s) | "Bill" | |||||||||||||||||||
| Born | May 29, 1933 Northampton, Massachusetts |
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| Died | September 2, 2020 (aged 87) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 163 lb (74 kg) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Swimming | |||||||||||||||||||
| Strokes | Butterfly, freestyle | |||||||||||||||||||
| Club | New Haven Swim Club | |||||||||||||||||||
| College team | Springfield College | |||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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William Albert Yorzyk Jr. (May 29, 1933 – September 2, 2020) was an American competition swimmer, Olympic champion, and one-time world record-holder.
Yorzyk represented the United States at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia. He was the first swimmer to win the gold medal in the new 200-meter butterfly event, finishing with a time of 2:19.3 in the final.
Yorzyk continued to swim competitively while he attended medical school at the University of Toronto. Yorzyk served as a physician in the United States Air Force Medical Corps and was commissioned a captain. He won the U.S. AAU indoor championship in the 220-yard butterfly in 1958. He was awarded the university's Bickle Prize as its outstanding student-athlete in 1958 and 1959.
Yorzyk was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame as an "Honor Swimmer" in 1971.
William Yorzyk died on 2 September 2020, aged 87.
See also
In Spanish: William Yorzik para niños
- List of members of the International Swimming Hall of Fame
- List of Olympic medalists in swimming (men)
- List of Springfield University alumni
