Steve Clark (swimmer)

Stephen Edward Clark (June 17, 1943 – April 14, 2026) was an American competition swimmer. He attended and swam for Los Altos High School under Hall of Fame Coach Nort Thornton Jr. Clark showed great skill early on and made the Olympic team in 1960 while still in high school.

At the March 1961 AAU National Indoor Swimming Championships, Clark set a record in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 46.7. His talent helped the Los Altos High School team compete against college-level teams, including a match against the Stanford Freshman team in 1961. He is not to be confused with Canadian swimmer [Stephen Clarke (swimmer)](/wiki/Stephen_Clarke_(swimmer). Clark became an Olympic champion and held a world record during his swimming career.

Yale University

Steve Clark went to Yale University and swam for coach Philip Moriarty's Yale Bulldogs swimming and diving team. He competed in National Collegiate Athletic Association and Ivy League events. At Yale, he won five NCAA titles. Clark also won many championships for the Santa Clara Swim Club, where coach George Haines helped him improve. He was famous for swimming fast and making smart turns. He set nine world records. In 2005, he gave one of his Olympic gold medals to Yale.

1960 Olympics

At the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Clark helped the U.S. relay teams win in the early rounds of the men's 4×200-meter freestyle relay and men's 4×100-meter medley relay. The teams won gold medals, but Clark could not get a medal because he did not swim in the final races.

He won his first international gold medal at the 1963 Pan American Games in São Paulo, Brazil, where he took the men's 100-metre freestyle.

1964 Olympics

Steve Clark had shoulder pain during the U.S. Olympic trials in 1964, but he still made the team for the relay events. At the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Clark helped the U.S. teams win three gold medals, all in record times.

His first gold was in the 4×100-meter freestyle with a world record time. He also helped the team win gold in the 4×200-meter freestyle and the 4×100-meter medley, both with record times. After his time at Yale, Clark went to Harvard Law School. He wrote a popular book about swimming and was honored as an "Honor Swimmer" in the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1966.

Depression

Steve Clark felt very sad after his swimming career ended. This kind of sadness is sometimes called Gold Medal Syndrome. Many athletes feel this way every four years around the Olympic Games. Clark talked about his sadness in writings from 2012. He said he felt sad for many years after he stopped swimming.

Death

Steve Clark passed away on April 14, 2026, at the age of 82. His health declined due to complications from Parkinson's disease.