FOR THE RECORD:
Individual Masters World Records: 97 as of December 2024
Relay Masters World Records: 36 as of December 2024; Burns was a part of the quartet that set World Aquatic records in all 10 men’s 320+ relays.
FINA Masters World Rankings: 77 1st-Place, 33 2nd-Place, 23 3rd-Place
FINA Masters World Championships: Attended 6 World Championships
FINA Masters World Points: 3215 as of December 2023
United States Masters Swimming Rankings: 1354 races since 55-59 age group (when USMS started keeping track); 157 USMS individual National records; 45 USMS relay National records; 2 USMS National long-distance records; 783 USMS top ten individual rankings; 283 USMS top ten relay rankings; 36 years as a pool All-American; 24 years as a relay All-American
Other Honors: 5-time Swimming World Magazine Masters Swimmer of the Year; 10-time Pacific Masters LMSC Male Swimmer of the Year (Award was named for Rich in 2022 after he received the honor 10 times).
Rich Burns Masters swimming career has spanned decades. Over the years, he has competed at the highest level in 11 age groups, from 35-39 to 80-84. In that time, he has amassed 97 short and long course individual world records in four of the five race disciplines (freestyle, backstroke, butterfly and IM), along with 36 relay world records.
In 2024 alone, he was part of a historic quartet that set world records in all 10 men’s 320+ relays. His 77 No. 1 world rankings and 13 individual titles at the FINA Masters World Championships is a testament to his global dominance.
A Masters International Swimming Hall of Fame Inductee in 2010, Burns now joins the elite ranks of 16 other MISHOF inductees to be inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame, marking a rare achievement.
His journey began in 1957 at an elite high school program coached by ISHOF inductee David Robertson and ASCA Hall-of Famer Ray Essick (former USA Swimming Executive Director) at New Trier High School. After high school, he swam under the legendary Doc Counsilman at Indiana University.
In both programs, Burns was a mid-pack swimmer behind teammates such as Fred Schmidt and Dave Lyons, who would win Olympic gold medals in 1964.
After college, Burns took a decade-long break from the sport, before finding his true calling in Masters swimming, setting his first world record in 1983. Training with Tamalpais Aquatic Masters in California under coach Marie McSweeney, he has sustained excellence for more than 50 years.
Even a bladder cancer diagnosis in 2014 couldn’t slow Burns down. He continued to train and compete during his treatment and in the lead-up to surgery. He won three gold and two silvers at the 2014 Masters World Championships. Less than six months after surgery, Burns broke his own records in the 50 and 100y backstroke.
Beyond competition, his decades of service to Masters swimming at the national and LMSC level reflect his deep commitment to the sport. The Pacific Masters LMSC Male Swimmer of the Year award was named for Rich in 2022 after he received the honor 10 times.
Burns’ career stands as a powerful testament to lifelong fitness, perseverance, and the enduring rewards of swimming. His passion will continue to inspire generations of swimmers.
