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William Johnson

1947 – 2005

American swimmer, Olympic athlete

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About William Johnson

Lived 1947 – 2005 (aged 58). William Johnson was an American swimmer.

William Roy Johnson (March 19, 1947 – April 22, 2005) was an American competition swimmer.

Johnson represented the United States at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. He swam for the gold medal-winning U.S. teams in the qualifying heats of the men's 4×100-meter freestyle relay and men's 4×200-meter freestyle relay. He did not, however, receive a medal for either event because only relay swimmers who competed in the event final were eligible to receive a medal under the 1968 swimming rules.

Johnson attended the University of Southern California (USC), and swam for the USC Trojans swimming and diving team in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) competition from 1967 to 1968 under the exceptional Hall of Fame Coach Peter Daland. Previously he swam for Fullerton College in 65 and 66. He was recognized as an All-American four times as a college swimmer. At the Southern California Invitational at City of Commerce, California on March 15, 1968, while swimming for USC, Johnson placed second in the 200 individual medley with at 2:01.2, edging out a young future Olympian Gary Hall by .6 seconds. At the National Short Course AAU Swimming Championships on April 13, 1968, in Greenville, North Carolina Johnson placed fourth in the 100-yard butterfly with a 51.27, 2.1 seconds behind first place Mark Spitz.

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Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Nationality
Education
University of Southern California
Also known as
William Roy Johnson

People in William Johnson's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped William Johnson's

Frequently asked questions

Who was William Johnson?

American swimmer, Olympic athlete (1947-2005)

When was William Johnson born?

William Johnson was born on 19 March 1947 in Santa Monica.

When did William Johnson die?

William Johnson died on 22 April 2005.

What was William Johnson's occupation?

William Johnson was a swimmer.

What nationality was William Johnson?

William Johnson was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: William Johnson

· Wikidata: Q10862571

· DBpedia: William Johnson (swimmer)

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). William Johnson. https://biography.guide/william-johnson-swimmer/

MLA: "William Johnson." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/william-johnson-swimmer/.

Chicago: "William Johnson." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/william-johnson-swimmer/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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