Olympic Gold Medalist Mike Burton Dies At 79

By Madeline Folsom on SwimSwam
Mike Burton, a three-time Olympic gold medalist for the United States, died on September 18, 2026 at age 79 after battling Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Burton, born on July 3, 1947, qualified for two Olympic teams for the United States, 1968 and 1972.
At the 1968 Games in Mexico City, he won both the 400 free and 1500 free. He was sick at the meet, but won the 400 freestyle by more than two seconds over Canada’s Ralph Hutton, touching in an Olympic record