Keith Eyre Carter (August 30, 1924 – May 3, 2013) was an American 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 ...

, a six time All American, an Olympic silver medalist and world record holder in the 200 yard breaststroke (long course). Carter was an unusually gifted swimmer in both free style and breaststroke events. At the 1948 Olympic trials, he was second behind

Wally Ris Walter Steven Ris (January 4, 1924 – December 25, 1989) was an American competition swimmer, two-time Olympic champion, and world record-holder. Ris won two gold medals at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, England.Sports-Reference.com, Oly ...

in the 100 m freestyle, and second behind

Joe Verdeur Joseph Thomas Verdeur (March 7, 1926 – August 6, 1991) was an American competition swimming (sport), swimmer, Olympic champion, and former world record-holder. Career Verdeur was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He had a sister, Theresa, a ...

in the 200 m breaststroke. Carter tried out for the 4 X 200 m freestyle relay and was one of several swimmers who had already qualified in other events who slowed down in their heats or swam fast in the prelims and scratched themselves for the final to allow more swimmers to qualify for the US Olympic Team. At the

1948 Summer Olympics The 1948 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XIV Olympiad and officially branded as London 1948, were an international multi-sport event held from 29 July to 14 August 1948 in London, United Kingdom. Following a twelve-year hiatus cau ...

in London, Carter received a silver medal in the 200 m breaststroke in a three man American sweep of the event behind

the gold medalist and ahead of Robert Sohl the bronze medalist. In the men's 100 m freestyle, Carter finished fourth in the event final behind his teammates

the gold medalist and Alan Ford the silver medalist, thus narrowly missing another American sweep of this event as well. In 1949, Carter was the

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...

champion in the 200-yard breaststroke, National AAU Indoor 220 yd breaststroke champion and both times over his rival

. He did not compete in the 1949 National AAU Outdoor championships. No other swimmer in the pre bifurcation era of the breaststroke and butterfly events prior to 1953, was able to compete in both freestyle and butterfly (breaststroke/butterfly) events and obtain as high a ranking internationally (2nd in breaststroke/4th in the 100 freestyle in the Olympics) in both events as is common today with the butterfly swimmers now using the dolphin kick. Carter attended

Purdue University Purdue University is a Public university#United States, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, United States, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded ...

, where he majored in

electrical engineering Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the study, design, and application of equipment, devices, and systems that use electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. It emerged as an identifiable occupation in the l ...

, and swam for the

Purdue Boilermakers The Purdue Boilermakers are the official college athletics in the United States, intercollegiate athletics teams representing Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana. As is common with athletic nicknames, the Boilermakers nickname ...

. Before enrolling at Purdue, Carter served in the

United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

for three years as a bombardier during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. Carter was also a Masters swimmer, breaking the world record in the 100 short course meters fly in the 65-69 age group in 1990 with a 1:24.43. Carter died May 3, 2013; he was 88 years old. Keith Carter Obituary
" ''Asheville Citizen-Times'' (May 3, 2013). Retrieved May 7, 2013.

References

External links

*
Keith Carter
– Sigma Chi profile at Thesighouse.com
Radio interview
– "Purdue alum remembers 1948 Olympics, silver medal win" from WBAA.org {{DEFAULTSORT:Carter, Keith 1924 births 2013 deaths American male breaststroke swimmers American male freestyle swimmers Olympic silver medalists for the United States in swimming Purdue Boilermakers men's swimmers Swimmers from Akron, Ohio Swimmers at the 1948 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1948 Summer Olympics Western Reserve Academy alumni United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II United States Army Air Forces officers 20th-century American sportsmen

See also

References

External links