$\"john-naber-bob-ingram\"$
John Naber. Photo Courtesy: Bob Ingram<\/p><\/div>\n

The Racers<\/h3>\n
It\u2019s easy to write:<\/p>\n
\n
Lane 1: John Naber \u2013 Ladera Oaks Swim Club<\/li>\n
Lane 2: Casey Converse \u2013 Mission Viejo Nadadores<\/li>\n
Lane 3: Bruce Furniss \u2013 Long Beach Swim Club<\/li>\n
Lane 4: Tim Shaw \u2013 Long Beach Swim Club<\/li>\n
Lane 5: Brian Goodell \u2013 Mission Viejo Nadadores<\/li>\n
Lane 6: Mike Bruner \u2013 De Anza Swim Club<\/li>\n
Lane 7: Bobby Hackett \u2013 Bernal\u2019s Gators Swim Club<\/li>\n
Lane 8: Doug Northway \u2013 Oasis Swim Club<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Swimming at this level is an exclusive club.\u00a0 <\/span>There is a mutual respect for those who bring out the absolute best in you. These eight finalists knew each other well; some were close friends, others only acquaintances. Six of the eight had already competed against each other in the 200 freestyle two evenings earlier. \u00a0 <\/span>You can see that Shaw and Furniss were teammates at Long Beach and Goodell and Converse were teammates at Mission Viejo.\u00a0 <\/span>What is not obvious is that Furniss and Naber were teammates at the University of Southern California, and that many of the swimmers had been teammates on excursions to World Championships in 1973 or 1975, the Pan American Games in 1975, and other international competitions.\u00a0 <\/span>There were many common denominators among these finalists. The winner would need to beat the best the sport had to offer.<\/p>\n
The Preliminaries and Prelims to the Preliminaries<\/h3>\n
The finals of the 400 freestyle were Friday evening June 18, 1976 and as usual the prelims were that morning.\u00a0 <\/span>Northway was the last qualifier with a 3:57.76 and a total of 12 swimmers broke four minutes.\u00a0 <\/span>In the U.S. Olympic Trials in 1972, not one swimmer broke the four-minute mark. DeMont and Kurt Krumpholz<\/strong>, both former world record holders in this event, failed to make the finals that evening. Three other Olympians in other events also failed to make the finals. Simply to make the finals required an unmatched level of talent and effort.<\/p>\n
Of course, the preliminaries are important, but in 1976 the most important race before the 400-meter freestyle was the 200 freestyle two nights earlier on June 16^{th<\/sup>, 1976.\u00a0 <\/span>Because there was an 800 freestyle relay in the 1976 Olympic Games but no 400-freestyle relay, the 200 freestyle had exceptional importance. It allotted six slots to the Olympic Team \u2013\u00a0 <\/span>more than any other event, including four automatic spots and two contingent spots.\u00a0 <\/span>The automatic spots were earned by the winner and world record holder Furniss followed by Naber, Jim Montgomery<\/strong> and Bruner.\u00a0 <\/span>Shaw earned the first contingent spot by placing fifth.\u00a0 <\/span>Northway and Goodell tied for sixth at 1:52.76 so the last contingent spot would be dependent on a swim off unless one or the other conceded.\u00a0 <\/span>In those years there was no medal if you swam in the prelims of the Olympics but not the finals, and Goodell and Northway decided to delay the swim off to see how the rest of the meet unfolded.<\/p>\n}
Therefore, the setup for the 400 freestyle: These racers knew each other, their strengths, their strategies, their weaknesses.\u00a0 <\/span>Nothing was hidden under the surface of the water.<\/p>\n
Race Strategy?<\/h3>\n
At a high level, there are basically three race strategies, and none is better than the others. One is to go out fast.\u00a0 <\/span>Another is to come back fast. And the third is to even split the race. An effective race strategy should reflect the swimmer’s strengths and training background.\u00a0 <\/span>In all three strategies there is a mix of speed, strength, endurance and will.<\/p>\n
$\"Bruce$
Bruce Furniss. Photo Courtesy: Swimming World<\/p><\/div>\n
In fact, race strategies are like planning.\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cPlans are worthless, but planning is everything,\u201d said General Eisenhower.\u00a0 <\/span>In swimming, most race strategies melt when water is added.\u00a0 <\/span>This usually happens because the athlete with a strategy hasn\u2019t trained properly to implement that strategy.\u00a0 <\/span>Often another racer had a strategy that fit their training and taper timing better.\u00a0 <\/span>There are as many reasons for the failure of a strategy as there are drops in the pool.\u00a0 <\/span>A strategy succeeds because it has the right racer, at the right time, with the right training and with the zeal to execute.\u00a0 <\/span>One thing is certain, at the end of a 400-meter freestyle all strategies come down to who can summon the will to win from deep down \u2013 down where the spirit meets the bone.<\/p>\n
One clear disadvantage in race strategies is that if you go out fast, everyone knows it.\u00a0 <\/span>If you wait, no one knows what you will have left at the end, including yourself.\u00a0 <\/span>There is a bit of a \u201cgambler’s dilemma\u201d \u2013 you don\u2019t want show too much too soon \u2013\u00a0 <\/span>but ultimately it will come down to who wants the Olympic Team dream the most.<\/p>\n
The Race, By Length and Racers<\/h3>\n
First Length \u2013 John Naber Imposes His Will<\/strong><\/p>\n
Naber, 20 years old, was one of the most decorated swimmers of the 1970s. He would go on to win four gold medals and one silver in Montreal; he won ten NCAA championships in backstroke and freestyle; and he won the Sullivan Award as the nation\u2019s best amateur athlete in 1977.\u00a0 <\/span>John had already made the 1976 Olympic team by finishing first in 100 backstroke on June 17 and second in the 200 freestyle on June 16.\u00a0 <\/span>If he made the team in the 400 free, he would have a chance at six medals in Montreal.\u00a0 <\/span>Right from the start, it was obvious that John was going to force the field to prove he was NOT the best swimmer in the world.\u00a0 <\/span>He attacked the 400 free with no mercy on the field or himself.\u00a0 <\/span>Out in lane one, he was invisible to all but Converse in lane two and Furniss in lane three.<\/p>\n
John had been the American record holder in the 500 yard and 1650-yard freestyle events.\u00a0 <\/span>He was an excellent and experienced distance swimmer.\u00a0 <\/span>He knew that going out fast was showing his hand to the field.\u00a0 <\/span>Naber commented on his race plan:<\/p>\n
\u201cMy Ladera Oaks coach, Mike Hastings, said that this was just a good test event for me, and I should make the race feel good.\u00a0 I did not bother Peter Daland (USC, Head Coach) for advice, because I was not swimming for Trojan Aquatics.<\/i><\/p>\n
\u00a0Lane one was the perfect place for me to get out to an early lead, and I doubted that anyone would be watching for me in the outside lane.<\/i><\/p>\n
I barely recall exactly how I felt (I don\u2019t remember any pain) but I do recall the crowd noise may have been the loudest I ever heard during a race.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n
Second Length \u2013 Doug Northway Inverts the Seeding<\/strong><\/p>\n
On the other side of the pool in lane 8 was Northway \u2013 also going out fast.\u00a0 <\/span>Doug was the only racer who had been a member of the 1972 Olympic Team that competed in Munich, Germany.\u00a0 <\/span>He won the bronze medal in the 1500 meter freestyle.\u00a0 <\/span>At the 1975 Pan American games Doug won the 400-meter freestyle.\u00a0 <\/span>Doug was the oldest racer in the pool at the age of 21.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
With lane one and lane eight leading the way, the pool was in an inverted \u201cV\u201d \u2013 a complete reverse to what the lane seeding from preliminaries predicts with the center lanes out front and the outer lanes trailing behind.\u00a0 <\/span>At the 100, Naber turned at 55.59, nearly two seconds below Shaw\u2019s 1975 world record pace with Northway in lane 8 at 56.68 followed closely by the rest of the field.\u00a0 <\/span>All but Converse were under the world record 100 split of 57.43.<\/p>\n
Lane 1) John Naber 55.59<\/em>
\nLane 2) Casey Converse 57.64<\/em>
\nLane 3) Bruce Furniss 56.68<\/em>
\nLane 4) Tim Shaw 56.90<\/em>
\nLane 5) Brian Goodell 57.33<\/em>
\nLane 6) Mike Bruner 57.36<\/em>
\nLane 7) Bobby Hackett 56.90<\/em>
\nLane 8) Doug Northway 56.68\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n
Third Length \u2013 All Eyes on Bruce Furniss<\/strong><\/p>\n
Furniss, 19, had won the 200 freestyle just a couple nights earlier. He was the world record holder in the 200-meter IM and the 200-meter freestyle.\u00a0 <\/span>The 200 IM was not a part of the 1976 Olympic program.\u00a0 <\/span>Bruce did compete in the 400 IM at the Olympic Trials and finished a close fourth behind his brother Steve.\u00a0 <\/span>An excellent case could be made for Bruce Furniss being the best male swimmer in the world.<\/p>\n
Bruce was swimming well with a great combination of speed and endurance.\u00a0 <\/span>As he approached the second turn, he took a quick breath to his left and saw Naber well ahead.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
What was Bruce thinking at that moment?\u00a0 <\/span>Here is what he said:<\/p>\n
\u201c<\/i>During the NCAAs earlier that spring, I finished second to Jim Montgomery in the 200 free in a race in which he won from lane 1.\u00a0 He smoked the field from the gun and I didn’t react to his rabbit-start soon enough, essentially running out of pool at the end of the race.\u00a0 I vowed that day, if that ever happened to me again I would not allow an “outside smoker” to lose body contact with the field and I would adjust my race strategy accordingly.\u00a0 Thus in this race a mere three months later and being in lane 3, closer to John than most anybody else in the field, when I saw what he was doing I vowed to stay \u2018connected\u2019 to him.<\/i>\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n
Great racers don\u2019t back down.\u00a0 <\/span>Bruce upped the pace and the pace cascaded across the lanes.\u00a0 <\/span>As Bruce moved out, the whole field had to up its game.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
Flipping last at the 150-meter mark were the two teammates and friends from Mission Viejo Nadadores \u2013 Converse and Goodell.\u00a0 <\/span>Neither had made the Olympic team at this point in the meet.\u00a0 <\/span>Both were strong back-half swimmers.<\/p>\n
Fourth Length \u2013 Bobby Hackett Will Not Be Left Behind<\/strong><\/p>\n
In lane seven was Bobby Hackett, the youngest of the racers at age 16 and the only racer from east of the Mississippi.\u00a0 <\/span>Despite his youth, Bobby already had a national title and a Pan Am gold medal under his belt.\u00a0 <\/span>He would go on to win a silver medal in Montreal.\u00a0 <\/span>Bobby was known for going out fast but it is doubtful that Bobby had ever been in a 400 freestyle where someone went out two seconds under the world record.\u00a0 <\/span>Three days later, June 21, Bobby would break the world record in the 800-meter freestyle while going out in his 1500!\u00a0 <\/span>Bobby had plenty of endurance.<\/p>\n
Between the 150-meter mark and halfway point, Bobby decided he\u2019s not going to wait around.\u00a0 <\/span>His strong, smooth stroke took him to the 200 where he turned with Furniss.\u00a0 <\/span>Naber was still in the lead and remarkably nearly three seconds below the world record pace set by Shaw.\u00a0 <\/span>But more amazingly, at the halfway point the entire field was under the world record pace of 1:57.46.<\/p>\n
Bobby\u2019s focus at the trials was to make the team in the 1500.\u00a0 <\/span>He had won the 1500 at the Kansas City nationals in 1975.\u00a0 <\/span>He was thrilled to be in the finals of the 400 and Bobby remembers the race in detail:<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u201cMaking the finals was a big bonus for me and gave me that finals experience I would need for the 1500 (the last night of the trials).<\/i><\/p>\n
My prelim time was over 3 seconds faster than my best time from Kansas City in August \u201975.<\/i><\/p>\n
Northway taking it out was helpful for me as I was able to use his speed to comfortably get me out.\u00a0 I knew Bruner would hang back.\u00a0 So, coming off the 100 turn I saw \u2018Big John\u2019 out there and Bruce.\u00a0 I decided to jump on the second 100 to get out as I knew any chance of me making the team would depend on a big lead to counter the last 100\/50 from everyone in the middle of the pool.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n
Lane 1) John Naber 1:54.88 (59.29)<\/em>
\nLane 2) Casey Converse 1:57.05 (59.41)<\/em>
\nLane 3) Bruce Furniss 1:55.72 (59.04)<\/em>
\nLane 4) Tim Shaw 1:56.44 (59.41)<\/em>
\nLane 5) Brian Goodell 1:56.65 (59.32)<\/em>
\nLane 6) Mike Bruner 1:57.18 (59.82)<\/em>
\nLane 7) Bobby Hackett 1:56.32 (59.42)<\/em>
\nLane 8) Doug Northway 1:57.02 (1:00.34)<\/em><\/p>\n
Fifth Length \u2013 Mike Bruner Keeps It Even and Hangs Tough<\/strong><\/p>\n
Bruner was a great distance freestyler and butterflyer who won two Olympic gold medals, set two world records, and was the high-point winner at the 1980 Olympic Trials.\u00a0 <\/span>On page 12 of the June 1976 issue of Swimming World<\/i><\/b> was a write-up of Mike Bruner\u2019s 100 x 100 yards in under 100 minutes (completed in 1 hour, 39 minutes, 18.59 seconds), which was good enough to make it into the Guinness Book of World Records.\u00a0 <\/span>Every racer in this race knew what Mike was capable of and his personal toughness.\u00a0 <\/span>Mike had qualified for the Olympic team by finishing fourth in the 200 freestyle. He had been on several international teams and was a fixture in the finals of various events at Nationals and NCAA Championships.<\/p>\n
True to his Guinness world record, Mike was evenly splitting his race.\u00a0 <\/span>Mike, 19 years old, was in lane 6. On one side he had Brian Goodell \u2013 a fast finisher; on the other side he had Bobby Hackett \u2013 quick in the front half.\u00a0 <\/span>Wedged between these two, Mike kept it fairly even.<\/p>\n
Underneath that even tempo was simmering trouble.\u00a0 <\/span>Mike remembers:<\/p>\n
“When I made the team in the 800 freestyle relay, the impact of this accomplishment not being something that would ultimately provide me with an individual gold medal had not yet sunk in. \u00a0Even though I believed I should have been in the hunt for at least a birth in the 400 freestyle, I just didn\u2019t seem to have the fight in me to get there. \u00a0I\u2019d always known that swimming at this level was 90% mental. \u00a0I was struggling to get to where I needed to be. \u00a0Even though I split the 400 pretty well, I wasn\u2019t really where I needed to be to compete for the berth I so desperately wanted. \u00a0Following the 400 freestyle, my coach forced me to re-read what I had told a young author\u00a0(<\/i>link here<\/i><\/a>) who had written a paper on our conversations a few months earlier. \u00a0This helped me realize I had to re-evaluate my race strategy. \u00a0So my struggles in the 400 free\u00a0ended up being my strengths in the 200 fly.”<\/i><\/p>\n
Sixth Length – Tim Shaw Makes His Move<\/strong><\/p>\n
$\"Tim$
Tim Shaw. Photo Courtesy: Marjorie Shuer\/Swimming World<\/p><\/div>\n
The reigning World and Pan American champion in the 400 freestyle, the event world record holder and no less than the most recent recipient of the prestigious Sullivan Award for the USA\u2019s best amateur athlete was this final\u2019s top qualifier from the morning swims.\u00a0 <\/span>Everybody in this field knew what Shaw, age 19, was capable of.\u00a0 <\/span>Shaw had at one time or another held the world records in the 200, 400, 800 and 1500 freestyles.\u00a0 <\/span>With 100 meters left in the race, Naber was still in the lead and 1.5 seconds below world record pace. Shaw punched the accelerator and the field instantly reacted.\u00a0 <\/span>The world record pace at the 300 mark had been 2:56.07 \u2013 six of the eight were still under the world record pace.<\/p>\n
Lane 1) John Naber 2:54.59 (59.71)
\nLane 2) Casey Converse 2:55.99 (58.94)
\nLane 3) Bruce Furniss 2:55.25 (59.53)
\nLane 4) Tim Shaw 2:55.57 (59.13)
\nLane 5) Brian Goodell 2:55.39 (58.74)
\nLane 6) Mike Bruner 2:56.80 (59.62)
\nLane 7) Bobby Hackett 2:55.82 (59.50)
\nLane 8) Doug Northway 2:58.53 (1:01.51)<\/p>\n
Seventh Length \u2013 Casey Converse Throwing It Down<\/strong><\/p>\n
Bringing up the rear for the first 200 meters was Converse, age 18.\u00a0 <\/span>Casey was relatively unknown at this time, but he went on to be an Olympian, NCAA champion, and a coach at the Air Force Academy for many years.\u00a0 <\/span>In 1976, crazy stories had been coming out of the Mission Viejo Nadadores about an \u201cAnimal Lane.\u201d\u00a0 <\/span>The Animal Lane did brutal workouts of 12,000 meters, twice a day.\u00a0 <\/span>It was a lane of tough, determined competitors. Shirley Babashoff<\/strong> was in the \u201cAnimal Lane.\u201d\u00a0 <\/span>Goodell came from the Animal Lane and so did Converse.<\/p>\n
The race had Naber in lane 1 turning at the 200 in 1:54.88 and Converse in lane 2 turning at 1:57.05 \u2013 more than two seconds behind.\u00a0 <\/span>That is a great deal of distance and time to make up but when the racers hit the 300-meter turn, Casey had clawed back more than half a second and momentum was shifting quickly.<\/p>\n
Casey\u2019s recollection:<\/p>\n
My lasting memory of the race: Big John is about nine feet tall and it took a very long time to catch up to him.<\/i><\/p>\n
It is important to remember who in this race had not yet made the Olympic team.\u00a0 <\/span>Naber, Furniss, Shaw and Bruner had all made the Olympic team in the 200 free event or as part of the 800 freestyle relay.\u00a0 <\/span>John had made the team in the backstroke.\u00a0 <\/span>The four who had not yet made the team included Goodell, Hackett, Northway and Converse.\u00a0 <\/span>All those meters in the \u201cAnimal Lane\u201d will give you endurance but also determination. In the last 100-meters Casey\u2019s grit and resolve pushed out the pain.<\/p>\n
The Turn<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Swimming may be the only sport where the athlete comes to an immovable object (the wall), then must go in the opposite direction as quickly and powerfully as possible.\u00a0 <\/span>Since 1976, changes to rules and turn technique have been two of the most significant factors for times getting faster.\u00a0 <\/span>It isn\u2019t a statistic that is meticulously tracked \u2013 time entering the flag zone and time exiting the flags \u2013\u00a0 <\/span>but it could be viewed as the most important part of a race.\u00a0 <\/span>Coaches often say to \u201ccarry your momentum out of the turn.\u201d\u00a0 <\/span>It\u2019s not easy to do.<\/p>\n
This turn had more than momentum \u2013 it had drama.\u00a0 <\/span>With three Olympic team berths on the line, five swimmers flipped at the seventh turn simultaneously and Hackett was right there, half a second behind and Bruner was right on Hackett\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 <\/span>As New York Times<\/i> reporter Leonard Koppett wrote the next day:<\/p>\n
\u201cThe race began to enter the realm of the unbelievable at the 350 meter wall when four swimmers \u2013 Converse, Furniss, Shaw and Goodell \u2013 all caught Naber at the same time and the five of them flipped in unison, like porpoises in a Sea World act, to begin the sprint home. All of them were dead even; all had a chance to win; and all had a chance for the world record.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n
The most astonishing characteristic of this turn was the sudden stillness.\u00a0 <\/span>At the sight of the synchronized flip-turn any spectator who wasn\u2019t standing stood.\u00a0 <\/span>Simultaneous with the turn nearly every single person in the Belmont Plaza Pool filled their lungs at the same time to cheer the racers in the final 50 meters.\u00a0 <\/span>Thousands of people inhaling at the same moment creates a fleeting hush then a roar as that air comes screaming out. Everyone in the building knew it would take a world record to win this race.<\/p>\n
Last Length \u2013 Brian Goodell Heading Home<\/strong><\/p>\n
That turn was 17-year-old Brian Goodell\u2019s last moment as second fiddle.\u00a0 <\/span>Defying all the laws of physics, he carried momentum off that wall and into the final lap.\u00a0 <\/span>Brian negative split the race, had the fastest final 100 at 57.69, and swam his last 50 in 28.60.\u00a0 <\/span>That finishing kick would become the trademark of his racing, dismaying his competitors for many years to come. Goodell won the race, setting a new world record.\u00a0 <\/span>He would lower the record two more times and win the Olympic gold medal both in this event and the 1500 free.\u00a0 <\/span>Goodell became a legend in the sport; the 400 in the 1976 Trials was his breakout swim.<\/p>\n
<\/iframe><\/div>\nBrian Goodell reflected on the race:<\/p>\n I had been chasing all the racers in this final since 1973, continually building my racing skills and endurance. I knew that Tim Shaw was the man to beat, but that all these men could be capable of doing it. I kept my focus on Tim Shaw and didn\u2019t let the others going out fast distract me. After the 200 final two nights before, I knew I had more closing speed than I\u2019d ever had before, and that I just had to position myself and be patient to use it at the right time. I stayed on Tim\u2019s shoulder until the 300 meter turn and then let that speed run, which worked perfectly for me.<\/i><\/p>\nWinning this race and breaking my first world record gave me so much confidence that I felt certain I would win at the Olympic Games.<\/i><\/p>\nIt is the racer\u2019s determination that is the characteristic that rises at the finish of this race.\u00a0 <\/span>Goodell made the 1976 Olympic team with this swim and so did Converse.\u00a0 <\/span>Shaw made the Olympic team in an individual event with a ferocious finishing kick.\u00a0 <\/span>It would not be the last Olympic team Tim Shaw would make. In 1984 he became that rarest of athletes \u2013 a two-sport Olympian \u2013 by winning a silver medal with the US Water Polo team.<\/p>\nNaber has no regrets about his race strategy:<\/p>\nIn retrospect, I swam as good a race as I was capable of, because my first 200 was 4 seconds faster than my back half.\u00a0 That\u2019s what I was trying for.<\/i><\/p>\n\u00a0The fact that the field caught me came as no surprise or disappointment.\u00a0 In retrospect, it allowed me to train the following month (before the Games) with my longest race being a 200-meter distance.\u00a0 I credit my significant improvement between the Trials and Olympics to this lighter load.<\/i><\/p>\nBruce, however, might have swum the race a bit differently:<\/p>\nI feel to this day that this decision (not to lose contact with John) resulted in me over swimming the first 200 and essentially deleting any kick required in the last 50 meters of the home stretch.\u00a0 I still remember the tightness I felt on that last turn.\u00a0 Looking at the splits, Brian, Tim and Casey swam strategically the smartest races and deserved to make the team.<\/i><\/p>\nHackett has fond memories of the race and racers:<\/p>\nComing off the 300 I had some thoughts I was in a position to be top 3, but that began to fade going in to the turn when I saw Tim and Brian really close the gap.<\/i><\/p>\nNonetheless, gave it all I had the last 50 (with a two-beat kick and high turnover).\u00a0 It was a best time and felt great.<\/i><\/p>\nConfidence was high after the swim and set me up for the mile.<\/i><\/p>\nI decided shortly after the race I would \u2018take-it-out\u2019 in the finals of the 1500.\u00a0 That strategy worked.<\/i><\/p>\nUpon reflection, although I was the only swimmer from the east coast (NY area), I had the support of all the teams and swimmers led by Frank Keefe, Bill Palmer, George Breen.\u00a0 Without that support, and without John Naber calming me down before the finals of the 1500, I would not have made the team.<\/i><\/p>\nSuch great fun to race.\u00a0 It would not be the last time and the respect we had\/have for each other is what I will fondly remember.\u00a0 None of us liked to get beat.\u00a0 But we gave it our all each and every time.<\/i><\/p>\nAt the end of the 400-meter freestyle at the 1976 US Olympic Trials, seven racers held the top seven times in the world.\u00a0 <\/span>Any of those seven times would have won an Olympic medal in Montreal.\u00a0 <\/span>It was a great race!<\/p>\nLane 1) John Naber\u00a0 <\/span>4th<\/sup> 55.59 1:54.88 (59.29) 2:54.59 (59.71) 3:53.91 (59.32)<\/em> \nLane 2) Casey Converse 3rd<\/sup> \u00a0 <\/span>57.64 1:57.05 (59.41) 2:55.99 (58.94) 3:53.70 (57.71)<\/em> \nLane 3) Bruce Furniss 5th<\/sup> 56.68 1:55.72 (59.04) 2:55.25 (59.53) 3:54.33 (59.08)<\/em> \nLane 4) Tim Shaw 2nd<\/sup> 56.90 1:56.44 (59.54) 2:55.57 (59.13) 3:53.52 (57.95)<\/em> \nLane 5) Brian Goodell 1st<\/sup> 57.33 1:56.65 (59.32) 2:55.39 (58.74) 3:53.08 (57.69)<\/em> \nLane 6) Mike Bruner 6th<\/sup> 57.36 1:57.18 (59.82) 2:56.80 (59.62) 3:55.62 (58.82)<\/em> \nLane 7) Bobby Hackett 7th<\/sup> 56.90 1:56.32 (59.42) 2:55.82 (59.50) 3:55.65 (59.83)<\/em> \nLane 8) Doug Northway 8th<\/sup> 56.68 1:57.02 (1:00.34) 2:58.53 (1:01.51) 3:59.18\u00a0 <\/span>(1:00.65)<\/em><\/p>\nWritten by Brenda Borgh Bartlett and David Bartlett, who reside in Wayne, Pennsylvania.\u00a0 <\/span>If you have an idea for a \u2018Great Race\u2019 please contact them at greatswimraces@gmail.com.<\/em><\/p>\nDedicated to<a href=\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/george-breen-a-four-time-olympic-medalist-dies-after-battle-with-pancreatic-cancer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> George Breen, an International Hall of Fame swimmer,<\/strong> <\/a>a dedicated coach, an ardent friend and a swimming fanatic.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Several years ago, Dave Bartlett and Brenda Borgh Bartlett wrote this wonderful article on the men’s 400-meter freestyle from the 1976 United States Olympic Trials. The epic race featured some<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5440,"featured_media":116847,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"dois","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3,122077],"tags":[23680,11742,2183,17733,817,472,15135,102,5424,4664],"class_list":["post-420943","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-americas","tag-bobby-hackett","tag-brian-goodell","tag-bruce-furniss","tag-casey-converse","tag-doug-northway","tag-john-naber","tag-mike-bruner","tag-olympics","tag-rick-demont","tag-tim-shaw"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\r\n<title>Great Races: 1976 US Olympic Trials Men\u2019s 400-Meter Freestyle<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The final of the 400-meter freestyle at the 1976 Olympic Trials, full of Hall of Fame talent, ranks as one of the finest races in history.\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/great-races-1976-us-olympic-trials-mens-400-meter-freestyle\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Great Races: 1976 U.S. Olympic Trials Men\u2019s 400-Meter Freestyle; 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By Dave Bartlett and Brenda Borgh Bartlett<\/h3>\n

The Racers<\/h3>\nIt\u2019s easy to write:<\/p>\n