Biography
Remaining consistent with his swim training, Berkoff swam for a number of clubs in the greater Philadelphia area from a young age. He began swimming with Dick Shoulberg's Germantown Academy Aquatics Club in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania outside Philadelphia when he was only eight years old around 1974. He eventually swam for the prestigious Foxcatcher Swim Club which Coach Jack Simon, who also coached Berkoff, moved to West Chester, Southwest of Fort Washington, in the early 1980's, when Berkoff was in his high school years. Jack Simon continued to coach Foxcatcher through around 1985. Dick Shoulberg coached the Germantown Academy Aquatics Club from 1969-1985, but the club changed its name to the Foxcatcher Swim Club from 1985-2000 when it merged with Foxcatcher. Berkoff attended and swam for theHarvard era swimming
In 1985, he was accepted at Cambridge's Harvard University and swam for their swim team where he was managed by Coach Joe Bernal. He also swam for Bernal's Gator Swim Club during this period. He had two NCAA National Championship swims during his Harvard years, one in his signature stroke, the 100-yard backstroke at the NCAA nationals at the University of Texas in 1987 where he won the event, with a time of :48.2, breaking the NCAA standing record. That year, he notably became Harvard's first NCAA National Champion since 1960. Improving slightly on his time, two years later, on March 31, 1989, Berkoff again won the 100-yard backstroke event at the NCAA championships in Indianapolis with an American and U.S. Open Record time of :47.02."Cover Story", ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'', Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1 March 1984, pg. 133 He graduated Harvard that year with a degree in Anthropology.Josephs, Ira, "For Former Swimming Olympian", ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'', Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 3 October 1994, pg. 105 Known later as the "Berkoff Blastoff", early in his Harvard career, Berkoff began swimming his backstroke start and turns underwater for a distance as long as 35 meters using a powerful push-off from the side of the pool remaining horizontal and as aerodynamic as possible, with a powerful wavelike1988 Olympic trials world record
At the Olympic Trials on August, 13, 1988, Berkoff swam a 54.95 for the 100-meter backstroke preliminaries breaking Igor Poliansky’s (URS) 100-meter backstroke world record and again broke the world record in the Olympic Trial finals with a 54.91. He became the first swimmer to go under 55 seconds for the event.1988 Seoul Olympic world record
At the OctoberBerkoff's impact
After the 1988 Olympics, a limit of 10 meters was initially set for a few years by FINA officials for the distance a backstroker could swim underwater at their starts and turns, but the use of the underwater dolphin kick at starts and turns with outstretched locked arms would be adopted by a great number of competitive backstroke swimmers as well as butterfly and freestyle swimmers. Prior to Berkoff's innovation, many or most backstroke and freestyle swimmers used the flutter kick during the underwater phase of their starts and turns. In 1991, and remaining as of 2022, the distance limit increased to 15 meters at the start and after the turns for backstrokers, butterfly and freestyle swimmers. The limit for backstrokers of 15 meters for backstroke swimmers was set as early as 1989.Estrada, Richard, "Staying Submerged Makes You Faster", ''The Modesto Bee'', Mosesto, California, 1 May 2009, pg. 23 Berkoff, along with Olympians Dan Jorgensen, Sean Killian and Dave Wharton trained with Dick Shoulberg at Pennsylvania's Germantown Academy Aquatics Club in Fort Washington outside Philadelphia and Foxcatcher Swim Club in nearby Newtown Square for the 1992 swim season in preparation for the Olympics. Shoulberg had coached a number of stroke and IM competitors, besides Berfkoff, and had written a chapter on Individual Medley Training for ''The Swim Coaches Bible''.Didinger, Ray, "Kindergarten Coach, Shoulberg Works His Magic", ''Philadelphia Daily News'', Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 7 July 1992, pg. 551992 Barcelona Olympics
At theInternational competition
In the 1987 Pan American games, Berkoff took a silver in the 100-meter backstroke. He won three United States Swimming National Championships; one in the 100-yard backstroke in 1988, and 1991, and one in the 100-meter backstroke in 1988. At the 1987 Summer Universiade in Zagreb, Berkoff won a gold in the 4x100 Medley Relay, and a silver in the 100-meter backstroke. Berkoff was inducted into theProfessional life and coaching
Beginning his studies in the fall of 1992, after his competitive swimming career, he eventually received a Masters in Environmental Science and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Montana. Berkoff married Shirley Gustafson, and had two children.Josephs, Ira, "Area Great Swims into Hall", ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'', Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 13 May 2005, pg. D11 As a Missoula attorney, he covers insurance coverage issues and defendants in civil litigation. In 2010, Berkoff accepted a position as technical vice-president of USA Swimming, working as a volunteer, and had worked on a swimming advisory board while in college."Berkoff", ''The Missoulian'', Missoula, Montana, 2 June 2013, pg. 8 He has coached the Missoula Aquatic Club for many years, and in 2016, two of his swimmers, his 15-year-old daughter Katharine and 19-year-old Hannah Leach, were both scheduled to attend the June 2016 Olympic trials in Omaha Nebraska, competing in the 100 and 200 backstroke events. Berkoff coached two other of his swimmers to the Olympic trials in backstroke, Major Robinson (2012) and David Cromwell (2008).Mazzolini, A.J., "Missoula Backstrokers Leach, Berkoff bound for Olympic Swimming," ''The Billings Gazette'', Billings, Montana, 19 June 2016, pg. B4 During his graduate work, he continued with athletics as a highly-rated competitive triathlete. He is a co-founder of the Delphys Foundation for Marine Study, with Olympian Matt Biondi. Delphys is specifically tasked with the study of whales and dolphins in their natural ocean settings.See also
*References
External links
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Berkoff, David 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 Summer World University Games medalists in swimming FISU World University Games gold medalists for the United States FISU World University Games silver medalists for the United States Medalists at the 1987 Summer Universiade Medalists at the 1987 Pan American Games Pan American Games silver medalists for the United States in swimming 20th-century American sportsmen