2 minute read
The Closest Race in Olympic History
History Spotlight by Doug Humes
Photos courtesy of the Newtown Square Historical Society
Tim McKee looked up from the pool at the 1972 Munich Olympics and saw the number “1” next to his name. He had won the 400 I.M. (Individual Medley) in a time of 4:31:98. After a lifetime of training, the gold medal was his.
Dad Alex McKee with six of his nine swimming children
Looking down from the stands was his proud father, Alex McKee, who had been an Olympic-caliber swimmer for Ohio State in 1939. Alex had been a good bet to make the 1940 Olympics swim team. And then came World War II. The 1940 Olympics were canceled. When Captain McKee returned from Army service, his Olympic competition opportunity window had closed.
He transferred his dreams to his 9 children, and in 1961, he moved his family near Newtown Square’s then-new Suburban Swim Club. His children could walk out their back door and down a trail through woods to the club. The McKee children were all terrific swimmers, and now one of them, 19-year-old Tim, had won gold.
Or had he?!? The scoreboard showed that Gunnar Larson of Sweden had finished in the exact same time as Tim, down to a hundredth of a second. Larson’s name also showed the number “1.” In 1972, electronic timing was still relatively new: It was a touchpad wired to a central computer. The timing device actually measured the impulse to the thousandth of a second. It was opened and new times were flashed up. Tim had lost, by .002 of a second. Science had determined the winner. And Tim proudly accepted his silver medal while Larson received gold.
Tim McKee and Gunnar Larson, awaiting the results in 1972
When Tim got back home to Newtown Square, he received letters from various scientists, who pointed out just how small .002 of a second was. They said it’s 10 times faster than the blink of an eye! They advised that no swimming pool could be built to that tolerance, and that many factors could change a result, including a coat of paint, a bulge in plaster, and the length of wiring from the inside vs. outside lane. The scientists insisted that no timing device could measure a race down to .001 of a second without taking into account those factors.
The Olympic Committee then adopted a rule change: No race would ever be measured by thousandths again. Such future races would be a tie, with two gold medals awarded.
Team Foxcatcher before the 1976 Olympic trials
(Tim McKee is at the top of the Team Foxcatcher teammates pyramid)
Years later, Tim McKee has no regrets. “It’s not who I am,” he said, “it’s who I was and where I’ve been.”
Tim McKee today
After a career in public safety in Florida and induction into the University of Florida and International Swimming Halls of Fame, Tim and his wife Courtney are living happily ever after in her native Australia.
For more history on Newtown Square, Delaware County, and membership information, please visit our website at www.NSHistory.org.
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