Swimming & Diving
John Michael Gordon - Swimming & Diving - University of Kentucky Athletics

John MichaelGordon

  • position Freestyle/Backstroke
  • class Junior
  • Hometown Lynchburg, Va.
  • Major Business
  • High school Liberty Christian Academy

Top Times (SCY):
100 Backstroke: 48.48 (2021 SEC Championships, 2/25/21)
200 Backstroke: 1:44.97 (2021 SEC Championships, 2/26/21)
200 Freestyle: 1:39.07 (2023 SEC Championships, 2/16/23)
500 Freestyle: 4:26.32 (2020 SEC Championships, 2/19/20)

Top Times (LCM):
100 Backstroke: 58.85 (Mizuno Atlanta Classic, 5/15/21)
200 Backstroke: 2:05.61 (Mizuno Atlanta Classic, 5/16/21)
200 Freestyle: 1:55.39 (Summer Junior Nationals, 8/3/18)
400 Freestyle: 4:09.82 (Greensboro Speedo Sectionals, 7/13/19)

Career Notes:

  • 2021, 2022, 2023 SEC Winter Academic Honor Roll
  • 2020 SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll

2022-23 (Senior): Placed 36th in the 100 back (49.48), 37th in the 200 back (1:46.33), and 49th in the 200 free (1:39.07) at the SEC Championships … Placed third in the 500 free against Cincinnati (4:37.73) … Collected three other top-five finishes during the dual meet season … Qualified for the final in the 200 free (1:40.80), 100 back (50.83) and 200 back (1:47.74) at the Ohio State Invitational. 

2021-22 (Junior): Placed 30th in the 200 back (1:46.14) and 32nd in the 100 back (49.45) at the SEC Championships … Finished 14th in the 200 back (1:48.09) at the midseason Ohio State Invitational … Saw action in five dual meets … Took third in the 200 back (1:51.44) and fourth in the 100 back (51.98) in the season opener at Indiana … Raced to third in the 200 back (1:50.52) in the 200 back and fifth in the 100 back (50.66) versus Cincinnati … Was third in the 200 back (1:51.14) in a tri-meet with Auburn and NC State.

2020-21 (Sophomore): Finished 21st in the 200 back (1:45.33) and also competed in the 100 back (48.48) and 500 free (4:29.58) at the 2021 SEC Championships … Placed third in the 100 back (49.24), fifth in the 200 back (1:45.85), and 10th in the 200 free (1:39.97) at the Missouri Invitational … Recorded six top-5 finishes throughout the dual meet season, including taking third in the 200 free (1:42.15) and third in the 500 free (4:36.34) against Vanderbilt … Raced to fifth in both the 200 back (1:49.42) and 500 free (4:35.86) at Alabama … Took fourth in the 200 back (1:49.30) and fifth in the 100 back (50.30) against Tennessee … Named to SEC Winter Academic Honor Roll.

2019-20 (Freshman): Set personal records at the 2020 SEC Championships in both the 100 and 200 backstroke and the 500 freestyle … He scored three points and finished in 22nd place in the 200 backstroke in 1:45.15, after earning a personal record 1:45.10 in preliminaries … He finished in 27th place in the 100 backstroke in 48.65 … Rounding out his three events at the 2020 SEC Championship, he finished in 35th place in the 500 freestyle in 4:26.32 … Named to the SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll.

Prior to UK: Eight-time Virginia Class 4 State Championship finalist … Won the state 200 free title and took second in the 100 back in 2019 … Also completed for Lynchburg YMCA where he was a Junior National qualifier … Earned bronze in the 200 back at the 2019 YMCA National Championships … Finaled in three events at Juniors East in 2018 … USA Swimming Scholastic All-American.

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