David Edgar

David Holmes "Dave" Edgar (born March 27, 1950) is an American former swimmer, 1972 Olympic champion, and former world record-holder. In a period of seven years, he lost only one 50-yard race, due to a faulty starting block. Excelling in the efficiency of his flip turn technique under the mentorship of Coach Ray Bussard at the University of Tennessee, many consider Edgar one of the greatest short course 50 and 100-yard sprinters of the 1970s. Edgar officially set records of a 21.5 in the 50 freestyle, which he would improve upon, and a 49.1 in the 100 freestyle at the Southeastern Swimming Championships at the Emory Pool in Atlanta on February 3, 1968.

U. of Tennessee Edgar attended the University of Tennessee under Hall of Fame Coach Ray Bussard beginning in the Fall of 1968, where he swam for the Tennessee Volunteers swimming and diving team in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and Southeastern Conference competition. Teamed with another exceptional freestyler and future Tennessee Coach John Trembley, Tennessee was highly competitive during Edgar's swimming years.

Edgar won seven NCAA championships while swimming for the Volunteers, and was named the "Fastest Man Afloat" by Sports Illustrated magazine. His mastery of the Tennessee Turn, a flip turn carefully styled by Tennessee Coach Bussard helped reduce Edgar's sprint times and led to his becoming the first competitive swimmer to record times under 45 seconds for the 100-yard freestyle.

International competition highlights 1972 Olympics At the 1972 Olympic Trials, he finished fourth in the 100 meter freestyle, missing selection, but placed second in the 100 butterfly, though he was not expected to qualify in the event, and was selected for the 4x100 meter freestyle relay.

Travelling with the team, he represented the United States at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany, receiving a gold medal in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay, setting a time of 3:26.42, while swimming with the team of John Murphy, Jerry Heidenreich, Mark Spitz, Dave Fairbank, and Gary Conelly.

Besides his Olympic gold, he was on a winning 4×100 metre freestyle relay team (with Steve Genter, Jerry Heidenreich, and the non-Olympian Frank Heckl) at the 1971 Pan American Games.

In 1998, he was the married father of three children, and working as a businessman and life insurance agent in Fort Lauderdale.

Edgar was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame as an "Honor Swimmer" in 1996.