Kinsella, John P.
Swimming
b. Aug. 26, 1952, Oak Park, IL
While still a high school student in 1970, Kinsella set world records for the 400-meter and 1,500-meter freestyle and American records for the 200-, 500-, and 1,650-yard freestyle events. He was the first swimmer to break 16 minutes for the 1,500-meter, with a time of 15:57.1. Kinsella was given the Sullivan Award as the outstanding amateur athlete of 1970.
Swimming for Indiana University, Kinsella won the NCAA 500-yard and 1,650-yard championships three years in a row, 1971 through 1973. He was the AAU outdoor 400-meter and 1,500-meter champion in 1970. Indoors, he won the national 200-yard title in 1970, the 500-yard and 1,650-yard championships from 1970 through 1972.
A silver medalist in the 1,500-meter freestyle at the 1968 Olympics, Kinsella was a member of the gold medal 4 by 200-meter relay team in 1972.
He became a professional long-distance swimmer after graduating from college in 1974 and won 26 of 29 races. In 1979, his last year of competition, he set a record of 9 hours and 9 minutes for the English Channel swim.