David Berkoff
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | David Charles Berkoff | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname(s) | "Dave" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | United States | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | November 30, 1966 Abington, Pennsylvania | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 154 lb (70 kg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Swimming | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Strokes | Backstroke | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Bernal's Gator Swim Club | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College team | Harvard University | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
David Charles "Dave" Berkoff (born November 30, 1966) is an American former competition swimmer, Olympic champion, and former world record-holder in two events. Berkoff was a backstroke specialist who won a total of four Olympic medals during his career at two different Olympic Games.[1] He is best known for his powerful underwater start, the eponymous "Berkoff Blastoff".[2][3]
At the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, he won a gold medal by swimming the backstroke leg for the winning U.S. men's team in the men's 4×100-meter medley relay in the event final. Individually, he also won a silver medal by placing second in the men's 100-meter backstroke event.[citation needed]
Four years later at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, Berkoff earned another gold medal by swimming for the winning U.S. team in the preliminary heats of the men's 4×100-meter medley relay. He also won a bronze medal by placing third in the 100-meter backstroke.[citation needed]
Berkoff was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame as an "Honor Swimmer" in 2005.[4]
See also[]
- List of members of the International Swimming Hall of Fame
- List of Olympic medalists in swimming (men)
- World record progression 100 metres backstroke
- World record progression 4 × 100 metres medley relay
References[]
- ^ "David Berkoff - Net Worth, Age, Height, Bio, Birthday, Wiki!". Retrieved 2021-10-22.
- ^ "LESSONS FROM LEGENDS, Berkoff Blast-off". SwimSwam. 2012-05-24. Retrieved 2021-10-22.
- ^ "Seoul Anniversary: When the Backstroke Went Rogue: How David Berkoff and Underwater Power Changed the Event". Swimming World News. 2021-09-24. Retrieved 2021-10-22.
- ^ International Swimming Hall of Fame, Honorees, David Berkoff (USA). Retrieved October 29, 2012.
External links[]
- Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Dave Berkoff". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 2012-11-13.
- David Berkoff (USA) – Honor Swimmer profile at International Swimming Hall of Fame
| Men's Team |
|  |
|---|---|---|
| Women's Team |
| |
| Coaches |
| |
| Qualification | | |
|---|---|---|
| Men's Team |
| |
| Women's Team |
| |
| Coaches |
| |
- 1966 births
- Living people
- American male backstroke swimmers
- World record setters in swimming
- Harvard Crimson men's swimmers
- Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in swimming
- Olympic gold medalists for the United States in swimming
- Olympic silver medalists for the United States in swimming
- Sportspeople from Missoula, Montana
- Swimmers from Philadelphia
- Swimmers at the 1987 Pan American Games
- Swimmers at the 1988 Summer Olympics
- Swimmers at the 1992 Summer Olympics
- William Penn Charter School alumni
- Medalists at the 1992 Summer Olympics
- Medalists at the 1988 Summer Olympics
- Pan American Games silver medalists for the United States
- Pan American Games medalists in swimming
- Universiade medalists in swimming
- Universiade gold medalists for the United States
- Universiade silver medalists for the United States
- Medalists at the 1987 Summer Universiade
- Medalists at the 1987 Pan American Games