Streamlined News

PHOENIX, Arizona, September 13. THE swimming community is mourning the loss of three of its members this week.

Keo Nakama passed away last Wednesday in Hawaii, where he was born and raised. He was 21 years old during the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 and at his prime during the canceled Olympics of 1940. His top accomplishments in the sport include five gold medals at the 1940 Pan-American Games, 27 U.S. national titles and numerous world records. He is one of the few swimmers to also excel in another sport, playing baseball for The Ohio State University. Nakama was 91 years old.

William Burton is a name many swimmers and coaches from Illinois may recognize. Burton coached at Evanston Township High School for 38 years, leading the boys swim team to five state titles and numerous conference championships. Burton also coached Dick Hanley to a silver medal at the 1956 Olympics and countless others to success at the NCAA level. Burton passed away last Thursday at 92.

And on Saturday, NYU Swimming head coach Lauren Beam lost her battle with cancer. Beam was known to swim with the women’s team at NYU while undergoing chemotherapy, even competing in an open water swim during the team’s training trip to Florida last January. The school has named an award after her, the Lauren Beam Inspirational Award, given to someone who exemplifies grace under pressure in the face of adversity. Not surprisingly, Beam was the first recipient of this award last year.

The United States Aquatic Sports Convention began yesterday in Jacksonville, Florida, and we’ll stay on top of the news to come out of the meetings there. Last week we reported that USA Swimming executive director Chuck Wielgus was taking a leave of absence from his job to deal with complications from recent colon cancer surgery. USA Swimming told Swimming World that Wielgus could attend the convention to deliver the State of the Sport address, but he will not be there for the entire event. Stay with SwimmingWorld.com for the latest from Jacksonville.

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