Passages: Mike Stamm, 1972 Olympic Champion and World-Record Holder, 73
One of the world’s top backstrokers in the 1970s passed away late last month. Mike Stamm died June 24 in Costa Rica following a brief hospitalization. He was 73 years old. Stamm, who swam at Indiana University, held the world record in the 200 backstroke in 1970 before winning three Olympic medals two years later in Munich.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help with costs relating to returning his body to the U.S., cremation and family travel expenses. The note indicates that celebrations of life will take place in across California in late August and September.
Stamm grew up in the San Diego area, swimming for 1960 Olympic champion Mike Troy with the Coronado Swim Association. Before joining up with legendary coach Doc Counsilman in Bloomington, Stamm broke the lone individual world record of his career. On August 20, 1970, he swam a time of 2:06.3 in the 200 back to take three tenths off the previous record held by East Germany’s Roland Matthes. However, the mark would only last a few weeks before Mathis reclaimed it on September 11.
At the 1972 Olympics, Stamm posed the biggest challenge to Matthes in the backstroke events, finishing just over a second behind in the 100 and 200. Notably, his silver-medal-winning time in the 200 was 2:04.09, more than two seconds faster than his time which had been the world record just two years prior. Stamm wrapped up that meet swimming the leadoff leg on the U.S. men’s 400 medley relay that won gold by almost four seconds in world-record time. Also on that team was Stamm’s Indiana teammate Mark Spitz, who won the seventh of his record-setting gold medals in that race.
On the collegiate level, Stamm helped the Hoosiers win national titles in 1971, 1972 and 1973 before USC snapped their streak by a single point in 1974. His best effort came in 1973, when he won both backstroke events at the NCAA Championships. Later that year, he competed in the inaugural World Championships in Belgrade, snagging silver in the 100 back behind Matthes and gold in the 400 medley relay.