Alan Somers
Quick Facts
Biography
Alan Brounell Somers (born July 30, 1941) is an American former competition swimmer and world record-holder who represented the United States at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome Somers competed in the men's 400-meter freestyle, finishing fifth in the event final with a time of 4:22.0. He also qualified for the final of the men's 1,500-meter freestyle, clocked a time of 18:02.8 and finished seventh overall.
Somers was a member of a U.S. team that set a new world record of 8:17.0 in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay on July 23, 1960; the record was broken by an Australian relay team less than a month later.
Somers attended Indiana University, where he swam for coach Doc Counsilman's Indiana Hoosiers swimming and diving team in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) competition. He received eight All-American honors as a college athlete, and won three Big Ten Conference individual championships in the 1,500-meter (1961, 1962) and 1,650-yard (1963) freestyle events.
He graduated from Indiana University School of Medicine in 1968 and specialized in neurology.