Lance Larson, former defending WR champion denied Olympic
gold, dies at 83:
1. Lance Larson, former defending champion
2. Lance Larson, denied Olympic gold, dies at 83.
Passages: Lance Larson, former world record holder who was controversially denied Olympic gold, dies at 83
Lance Larson, a former world record holder in the 100 butterfly and 200 IM, and winner of two Olympic medals at the 1960 Games, passed away on January 19 at the age of 83. Larson, who resided in Southern California for many years, attended USC before pursuing a career as a dentist in Orange County. Despite his professional commitments, he continued to compete in Masters swimming.
Larson made a name for himself as a standout swimmer during his high school years, becoming the first to break the 50-second mark in the 100-yard freestyle. He then achieved another milestone by becoming the first man to swim the 100-yard butterfly in under 1 minute. Larson’s impressive achievements led him to the 1960 Olympics in Rome, where he set world records in both events.
However, it was the events in Rome that would forever be associated with Larson. In a controversial decision by the head referee, he was denied an Olympic gold medal in the 100m freestyle. The Olympic swimming program at the time only included six men’s individual events, excluding Larson’s world record events. This made the 100m freestyle his only chance at an individual medal. Larson faced tough competition from Australian swimmer John Devitt, who ultimately won the race, leaving Larson with a silver medal.
Despite this setback, Larson did win a gold medal as part of the U.S. men’s 400-meter medley relay team, where he contributed with his butterfly swimming skills. The team set a world record time of 4:05.4. Larson’s contributions to swimming did not go unnoticed, and in 1980 he was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame as an honorary swimmer.
A celebration of Larson’s life will take place on March 1 at the Garden Grove Lodge of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks in Garden Grove, California. Larson’s family has requested that donations be made in his memory to the Trojan Victory Fund, which supports USC’s men’s and women’s swimming and diving programs.
The controversy surrounding Larson’s Olympic race in 1960 still lingers. At the time, automatic timing technology was not yet in use, and the finishing order was determined by local judges. Devitt was declared the winner, despite conflicting opinions from the judges. Manual timing showed Larson as the faster swimmer, but the chief judge, Hans Runströmer, intervened and ruled in favor of Devitt, even though his view of the finish was unclear.
Efforts to change the results and award Larson the gold medal were unsuccessful, despite appeals and recorded video evidence presented by the American team. Larson’s loss in the 100m freestyle final prompted calls for reliable automatic timing, which led to its implementation in future Olympic Games.
The passing of Lance Larson marks the end of an era for swimming. His controversial denial of an Olympic gold medal brought attention to the need for fair and accurate timing systems in the sport. Larson’s contributions to swimming, both as an athlete and as a dentist, will be remembered and celebrated.
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– Lance Larson, former defending WR champion denied Olympic gold, dies at 83
– Lance Larson, former defending WR champion, passes away at 83.
