Gary Hall Sr.


Gary Wayne Hall Sr. is an American former competition swimmer, three-time Olympic medalist, and former world record-holder in five events.

Background

Hall attended Indiana University, where he swam for the Indiana Hoosiers swimming and diving team under coach Doc Counsilman. As a college swimmer, he specialized in the individual medley. Hall was elected captain of the Hoosiers swimming team in his senior year. In academics, Hall excelled in the classroom and was consistently cited by the NCAA as an outstanding example of student-athlete. He was accepted for medical school at the University of Cincinnati. He later became an ophthalmologist, and practiced in Phoenix, Arizona.
Hall first represented the United States in the 1968 Summer Olympics held in Mexico City, Mexico, where he won a silver medal for his second-place finish in the men's 400-meter individual medley. Two years later he broke the world record in the 200-meter butterfly.
Hall made it a point to vigorously exercise in the swimming pool after daily med school classes. His wife, the former Mary Keating, being from a swimming family, understood his love of the water.
At the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany, he earned a silver medal in the men's 200-meter butterfly. His final Olympic appearance was at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Canada, capping his Olympic career with a bronze medal in the men's 100-meter butterfly. At the end of the Montreal Olympics, his fellow American athletes from all sports disciplines, chose him to be the U.S. flagbearer in the closing ceremony.

Ophthalmologist career

Hall graduated from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, located in Cincinnati, Ohio. He practiced as Dr. Gary Hall, MD as an ophthalmologist in Phoenix, Arizona at the Gary Hall Lasik Center. Common conditions he treated in Ophthalmology included Macular degeneration and Cataracts. In 2005, following a series of medical errors and reprimands dating back to 1996, the Arizona Medical Board permanently banned Dr. Hall performing or assisting in any surgery. He was placed on a five-year probation, but allowed to keep his medical license. In 2009, he was stripped of his medical license when he was unable to pay a fine after he was found performing surgery.

International Swimming Hall of Fame

In 1981, Hall was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame as an "Honor Swimmer." Later on, he also became a local celebrity in Phoenix, as an ophthalmologist – appearing in his office's television ads and billboard campaigns.
His son Gary Hall Jr. has become a famous Olympic swimmer as well, starting in the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games, getting various gold medals at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. With his son's participation at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece, the Halls became the first father-and-son pair to make three Olympic appearances.

Summer swimming camps

Gary Hall Sr. currently lives in Florida and operates The Race Club summer swimming camps. The Race Club is a swimming club founded by Gary Hall Jr. and his father Gary Hall Sr. The swimming club, originally known as "The World Team," was designed to serve as a swimming training group for elite swimmers across the world in preparation for the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. To be able to train with The Race Club, one must either have been ranked in the top 20 in the world the past 3 calendar years or top 3 in their nation in the past year. The Race Club included such well known swimmers as Roland Mark Schoeman, Mark Foster, Ryk Neethling, Milorad Čavić and Therese Alshammar. They were coached by University of Michigan coach Mike Bottom.
The Race Club provides facilities, swimming techniques coaching, swimming training programs, technical instruction, swimming technique videos, fitness and health programs for swimmers of all ages and abilities. The Race Club summer swim camps are designed and tailored to satisfy each swimmer's needs, whether one is trying to reach the Olympic Games or simply improve one's swimming techniques. The swimming camps programs are suitable for beginner swimmers, pleasure swimmers, fitness swimmers, USA swimming or YMCA swimmers, or triathletes; anyone who wants to improve swimming skills.