Robert Edward Townsend, Jr. (born September 13, 1943) is an American former competition

swimmer Swimming is an individual or team racing sport that requires the use of one's entire body to move through water. The sport takes place in pools or open water (e.g., in a sea or lake). Competitive swimming is one of the most popular Olympic ...

Pan American Games The Pan American Games, known as the Pan Am Games, is a continental multi-sport event in the Americas. It features thousands of athletes participating in competitions to win different summer sports. It is held among athletes from nations of th ...

gold medalist, and former world record-holder. Townsend won a gold medal as a member of the winning U.S. team in the men's 4×200-meter freestyle relay at the

1963 Pan American Games The 1963 Pan American Games, officially known as the IV Pan American Games () and commonly known as São Paulo 1963, were held from April 20 to May 5, 1963, in São Paulo, Brazil. Host city selection For the first time, two cities submitted b ...

. He participated in the

1964 Summer Olympics The , officially the and commonly known as Tokyo 1964 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 10 to 24 October 1964 in Tokyo, Japan. Tokyo had been awarded the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this honor was subseq ...

in Tokyo, where he swam for the gold medal-winning U.S. team in the preliminary heats of the men's 4×200-meter freestyle relay.Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Athletes
Ed Townsend
Retrieved September 25, 2012. Under the 1964 Olympic swimming rules, he was ineligible for a medal, however, because he did not swim in the relay final. Townsend attended

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

, where he was a standout swimmer for coach Phil Moriarty's

Yale Bulldogs swimming and diving Since its inception in 1898, the Yale Bulldogs swimming and diving program has produced numerous champion athletes. Many Yale swimmers have gone on to earn All-American honors and even break world records. The team has won 4 NCAA The Natio ...

team from 1963 to 1965. He won an NCAA national championship in the 400-yard individual medley (1963), and three more as a member of winning Yale teams in the 400-yard freestyle relay (1963, 1964, 1965).IvyLeagueSports.com, History of the Ivy league
NCAA Championships (1957–Present)
. Retrieved September 25, 2012.

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* 1943 births Living people American male freestyle swimmers World record setters in swimming Olympic swimmers for the United States Sportspeople from Santa Clara, California Swimmers at the 1964 Summer Olympics Yale Bulldogs men's swimmers Swimmers at the 1963 Pan American Games Medalists at the 1963 Pan American Games Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States in swimming 20th-century American sportsmen {{US-swimming-bio-stub

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