Ken Swenson

Kenneth Lloyd Swenson (born April 18, 1948 in Clay Center, Kansas) is an American middle-distance runner. Swenson was the world leader at 800 meters in 1970 and competed in the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich.

Career As a senior at Kansas State University, Swenson won the 880 yards in 1:46.3 at the 1970 NCAA outdoor championships. He also won at that year's national (AAU) championships, narrowly defeating Mark Winzenried as both were timed in 1:47.4. Swenson set his personal best for 800 meters, 1:44.8, on July 16, 1970 in Stuttgart in a dual meet between the United States and West Germany; the time was the fastest in the world that year and a new American record for the metric distance. Track & Field News ranked Swenson the world's second-best half-miler that year, behind Yevgeniy Arzhanov of the Soviet Union.

In 1971, Swenson only placed third in the AAU outdoor meet (behind Juris Luzins and Jamaica's Byron Dyce); however, he won gold at the Pan American Games in Cali, running 1:48.08. At the Olympics in Munich Swenson qualified from his heat, but was disqualified in the semi-finals. Swenson set his personal best for the mile run, 3:59.1, in an ITA meet on May 3, 1975; he was the 75th American to run a four-minute mile.