Olympic Medalist George Harrison Dies

George Harrison, who won a gold medal for swimming during the 1960 Olympics in Rome, died Monday from complications after surgery. He was 72.

Harrison, who attended Acalanes High and swam for both Stanford and the Santa Clara Swim Club, set a world record at the age of 17 in 1956 in the 200-meter individual medley, and won the AAU indoor IM for three straight years from 1958 -- setting a new U.S. shortcourse record on each occasion.

Outdoors, he was the AAU champion in 1955 and set two world records for the 400 Individual Medley in 1960. The event was not included in the Olympic program until 1964, and Harrison was forced to turn to another event in search of Olympic honors in Rome. After winning the 200 meter free at the Final Trials, he swam the lead-off stage for the relay team which set a new world record at the 1960 Olympics. At the 1959 Pan American Games he won silver in the 400 metres freestyle.