Jack Horsley

Jackson Stewart Horsley (born September 25, 1951) is an American former competition swimmer, American record holder, and Olympic medalist who swam for Indiana University and represented the United States at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, where he won a bronze medal in the 200 meter backstroke. He set an American record in the 200 meter backstroke in 1968. After completing medical school at the University of Cincinnati, he later practiced medicine as a Director of the Student Health Center at Central Washington University.

Early life and swimming Horsley was born in Salt Lake City, Utah on September 25, 1951. After a family move, he attended Highline High School in Burien, a suburb of Seattle, Washington, where he graduated in the Spring of 1969. Swimming again for the Tritons, he placed first in the 200 meter backstroke with a time of 2:27.2 and placed second in the 400 and 800 meter freestyles at the Chronicle Park Meet in greater Spokane. Swimming again for the Tritons at the February 3, 1968 AAU Pacific Northwest Swimming Championships, he helped lead the Tritons to a team championship, winning the 200 freestyle in a time of 1:52.2, the 500 freestyle in 4:54.3, and the 100 backstroke in :55.7, with two of his wins in age group record times.

After travelling to Mexico with the U.S. team, at 17, prior to his High School Senior year, he competed at the October, 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, where he won a bronze medal in the 200 meter backstroke on October 25, 1968. He swam a 2:10.9 in a close finish behind gold medal winning Roland Matthes of East Germany who swam a 2:09.6, and American Mitch Ivey who swam a 2:10.6. Ivey was a close rival, with whom he had tied for the American record in the 200 meter backstroke at the U.S. trials, though Horsley's time was .08 seconds faster. Horsley had placed ahead of Ivey in several previous meets. Horsley's teammates included 1972 seven-time Munich Olympic gold medalist Mark Spitz. Horsley began training with Indiana in the summer of 1969, prior to his Indiana Freshman year, with his hand in a cast and plastic bag. The accident occurred earlier at one of Indiana's two a day practices when he smashed his hand into a swimmer in an adjoining lane. Despite the early injury, Horsley would become an All American while at Indiana. By March, 1971, his best times in NCAA competition included a 53.8 in the 100 backstroke, and a 1:56.6 in the 200 backstroke.

Professional career He graduated from Indiana University with a bachelor's degree, and later earned his medical degree from the University of Cincinnati Medical School. He completed his internal medicine residency in Stockton, California, and lived in Ellensburg, Washington after 1979. In Ellensburg, Washington, he worked to become board certified in emergency medicine, and served as the medical director of Central Washington University's student health center.

Horsley is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.