Stephen Rerych

Who is Stephen Rerych?

Stephen Karl Rerych is an American former swimmer, Olympic champion, and former world record-holder.

At the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, Rerych won two gold medals. He swam the second leg for the winning U.S. team in the men's 4×100-meter freestyle relay; with relay teammates Zac Zorn, Mark Spitz and Ken Walsh, he helped set a new world record of 3:31.7 in the event final. He received another gold medal as a member of the first-place U.S. team in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay, together with teammates John Nelson, Spitz and Don Schollander. Individually, he also competed in the preliminary heats of the men's 200-meter freestyle, clocking a time of 2:00.6, but did not advance.

He later went on to become a general surgeon. Rerych received his medical degree in 1974 from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York, New York. In 1975, he completed his internship at Duke University Medical Center in general and thoracic surgery. In 1986, Rerych was named the Chief Resident in General, Vascular and Thoracic Surgery at Duke University and the Veteran's Medical Center in Asheville, North Carolina. In 1990 he had his first and only child, Stephanie Rerych.