Buddy Baarcke

Leonide Alfred "Buddy" Baarcke, Jr. (September 23, 1931 – March 10, 2017) was an American competitive swimmer, Pan American Games medalist and swimming coach. Baarcke was the first American to set a world record with the butterfly stroke, doing so in the 100-yard event, and he was the first American to record times under 1 minute over 100 yards in the freestyle, backstroke, and butterfly events. At the 1955 Pan American Games, Baarcke won bronze in the 100 m backstroke and gold with his team in the 4 × 100 m medley relay.

As a coach, Baarcke assisted with the University of North Carolina swim team and later with the University of Florida Gators swim team. He also coached for the Swimming Association of the Palm Beaches, where his junior swimmers won several races at the AAU Junior Olympics and national age group championships.

Biography Leonide Alfred Baarcke was born on September 23, 1931; Baarcke learned to swim in Alabama, growing up in Birmingham. Baarcke was then drafted into the military for two years, where he continued to swim competitively. |group=note where William Yorzyk, the future first Olympic gold medalist in the 200-metre butterfly, saw the stroke for the first time.

Representing the United States at the 1955 Pan American Games, Baarcke placed third in the 100 m backstroke and first in the 4 × 100 m medley relay with his team, having trained with the Tar Heel swimmers and divers. After the Pan American Games, Baarcke went on a swim tour of Asia, before beginning training for the 1956 Summer Olympics; he became ill with hepatitis before the games and did not compete. According to the American Swimming Coaches Association, during his coaching career, Baarcke was involved with coaching an Olympic gold medalist, other Olympic medalists, and nine world-ranked swimmers. while on the American Swimming Coaches Association website, he is listed as being in the class of 2015. and the Palm Beach County Sports Hall of Fame.

Death Baarcke died on March 10, 2017, aged 85.