Virgil William Luken (September 12, 1942 – June 10, 2023) was an American competitive swimmer.

Virgil Luken
Personal information
Full nameVirgil William Luken
National teamUnited States
Born(1942-09-12)September 12, 1942
Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
DiedJune 10, 2023(2023-06-10) (aged 80)
Minnetonka, Minnesota, U.S.
Height5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Weight181 lb (82 kg)
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesBreaststroke
ClubGopher Swim Club
College teamUniversity of Minnesota

Luken represented the United States at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.[1] He swam the breaststroke leg for the gold medal-winning U.S. team in the qualifying heats of the men's 4×100-meter medley relay.[1][2] He did not receive a medal, however. Under the 1964 swimming rules, he was ineligible to receive a medal because he swam in the preliminary heats and not the event final.[3]

Luken attended the University of Minnesota, where he swam for the Minnesota Golden Gophers swimming and diving team in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) competition from 1962 to 1964.

Luken died in Minnetonka, Minnesota, on June 10, 2023, at the age of 80.[4]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Athletes, Virgil Luken. Retrieved October 25, 2012.
  2. ^ Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, United States Swimming at the 1964 Tokyo Summer Games. Retrieved October 25, 2012.
  3. ^ John Ewoldt, "Minnesotans recall their days of Olympics glory," Star Tribune (July 26, 2012). Retrieved October 25, 2012.
  4. ^ Passages: Olympian, NCAA Champion Virgil Luken Dies at 80
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  • Virgil Luken – Olympic athlete profile at Sports-Reference.com