Ed Townsend (swimmer)

{{Short description|American swimmer (born 1943)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}}

{{Infobox swimmer

| name = Ed Townsend

| image =

| image_size =

| alt =

| caption =

| fullname = Robert Edward Townsend, Jr.

| nicknames = "Ed"

| national_team = United States

| strokes = Freestyle

| club = Santa Clara Swim Club

| collegeteam = Yale University

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1943|9|13|mf=y}}

| birth_place = Santa Clara, California

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height = {{convert|6|ft|4|in|m|abbr=on}}

| weight = {{convert|200|lb|kg|abbr=on}}

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalSport | Men's swimming}}

{{MedalCountry | the United States}}

{{MedalCompetition | Pan American Games}}

{{MedalGold | 1963 São Paulo | 4x200 m freestyle relay}}

}}

Robert Edward Townsend, Jr. (born September 13, 1943) is an American former competition swimmer, Pan American Games gold medalist, and former world record-holder.

Townsend won a gold medal as a member of the winning U.S. team in the men's 4×200-meter freestyle relay at the 1963 Pan American Games. He participated in the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, where he swam for the gold medal-winning U.S. team in the preliminary heats of the men's 4×200-meter freestyle relay.Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Athletes, [https://web.archive.org/web/20200418073958/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/to/ed-townsend-1.html Ed Townsend]. Retrieved September 25, 2012. Under the 1964 Olympic swimming rules, he was ineligible for a medal, however, because he did not swim in the relay final.

Townsend attended Yale University, where he was a standout swimmer for coach Phil Moriarty's Yale Bulldogs swimming and diving team from 1963 to 1965. He won an NCAA national championship in the 400-yard individual medley (1963), and three more as a member of winning Yale teams in the 400-yard freestyle relay (1963, 1964, 1965).IvyLeagueSports.com, History of the Ivy league, [http://www.ivyleaguesports.com/history/championships/NCAA/1957-Present NCAA Championships (1957–Present)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129060451/http://www.ivyleaguesports.com/history/championships/NCAA/1957-Present |date=2014-11-29 }}. Retrieved September 25, 2012.