Dave Wilson

David "Dave" Dennis Wilson (born October 5, 1960) is an American former competition swimmer who competed for the University of California at Berkeley and was a two-time Olympic medalist in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.

Early swimming Wilson was born on October 5, 1960, in Long Beach, California, sometimes reported as nearby Torrance, to Mr. and Mrs. Garth L. Wilson, though he spent his High School years in greater Cincinnati, Ohio. By 12, Wilson swam for the highly competitive Cincinnati Marlins Swim club. On August 10–12, 1973, while swimming for the Marlins at the Ohio AAU Long Course "A" Swimming Championships, then coached by 1968 Olympic gold medalist Charlie Hickcox, Wilson won six races including both the 100-meter backstroke, and butterfly, and the 200 meter medley relay. At the same 1973 Ohio AAU Long Course Swimming Championship, Wilson set a State age-group record in winning the 100-meter freestyle with a time of 1:01.872. In January, 1974, at 13, he helped the Marlins team win the Club Olympia A Invitational Tournament, winning the 50, 100, and 200-yard freestyles and setting a pool record on a winning 200 medley relay team. By his Senior year, Wilson was a High School All American, and in 1978 was ranked first among High School boys in the 100-yard backstroke, and the 100-yard butterfly. Competing at 15 in mid-December 1975, representing Anderson High at the Princeton Invitational, Wilson placed second in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:52.317, and third in the 100 freestyle with a 51.478. By his Senior year, swimming for the Marlins, Wilson was trained by Hall of Fame Marlins Head Coach Skip Kenney, who would later coach swimming at Stanford University. In his Senior year at Anderson High School, Wilson was trained and managed by Anderson's new Head Coach Nick Douglass.

In international competition, Wilson captured a silver medal in the 4×100 meter medley relay at the 1981 Summer Universiade in Bucharest. He swam at the 1983 Universiade in Edmonton, Alberta in the backstroke, but did not metal, placing fifth in the 100-meter event.

At the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, Wilson earned a gold medal by swimming the backstroke leg for the winning U.S. team in Heat three of the preliminary heats of the men's 4×100-meter medley relay, though he did not swim in the event finals. He also won a silver medal by finishing second in the final of the men's 100-meter backstroke event, swimming his personal best time of 56.35 and placing second to U.S. teammate Rick Carey who swam a 55.79 and led the entire race, though not by a large margin.