Philip Riker

Philip Riker III (born September 16, 1946) is an American former competition swimmer for the University of North Carolina, and a 1964 U.S. Olympic competitor in the 200-meter butterfly.

State records at Eastside High Helping his Eastside High School team place second overall, his winning times in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association championships at Princeton University on March 2, 1962, were 56 seconds flat in the 100-yard butterfly, and 4:19.2 in the 400-yard freestyle. Both swims were state records. In February 1964, cutting his former time, Riker set a 100-yard butterfly meet record of 54.4 at the E.I.S. High School competition, placing first in the event. He would continue to cut his 100-yard butterfly times as a High School upperclassman.

Prep school record, Lawrenceville School Later attending the Lawrenceville School, around his junior and senior years, he was an All America Prep School swimmer, In 1963, Riker broke the Prep School record for the 100-yard butterfly at the Lawrenceville School with a time which he cut to 52.5. Riker also set a Prep School record in the 400-yard freestyle relay with a team time of 3:26.3 while at the Lawrenceville School.

1964 Tokyo Olympics Riker represented the United States as an 18-year-old at the October, 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. He competed in the men's 200-meter butterfly, and finished fourth overall in the event final with a time of 2:11.0. Riker finished 4.4 seconds behind Gold medal winner Kevin Barry of Australia, and 1.7 seconds behind Fred Schmidt, the American bronze medal winner who had initially led the competition before fading. Carl Robie, the silver medalist was an occasional swim rival for Riker at international competitions.

Riker also spent some time swimming for Coach Bob Alexander who was the Head Coach for the U.S National swim team in 1965 when Riker was a member. Alexander also coached the New Jersey Athletic Association's (NJAA) swim team in Montclair, New Jersey. Alexander had trained several of Riker's 1964 Olympic swimming team mates including Jed Graef, Thompson Mann, and Patience Sherman, primarily with his NJAA team.

North Carolina swimming After graduating Lawrenceville School, he attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he swam for Coach Pat Earey, He began his studies at North Carolina around February 1965, starting a semester late after his Olympic experience.

In July 1967, Riker won the 100-meter butterfly and placed second in the 200-meter butterfly at the Eastern U.S. Championships in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He was coached that year by Hall of Fame Rutgers swimming coach Frank Elm in Plainfield, New Jersey. By February 1976, Riker was the Atlantic Coast Conference Champion in the 100 and 200-yard butterfly, as well as the Eastern NCAA champion in the same events.

Riker participated in some United States Masters swimming events, primarily in the butterfly in 1986 and 1988 in Florida, and in 1993 with the Palmetto Masters in Palmetto, South Carolina.

Honors As a leading AAU area swimmer, Riker was chosen to receive the Harry B. Gourley Memorial Award for 1964.