Peter Rocca

Peter Rocca

Personal information
Full name	Peter Drake Rocca
National team	United States
Born	(1957-07-27) July 27, 1957 Oakland, California
Height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight	176 lb (80 kg)
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Strokes	Backstroke
Club	Concord Swim Club
College team	University of California, Berkeley
Coach	Nort Thornton Jr. (U. California)
Medal record Men's swimming Representing the United States Olympic Games 1976 Montreal 4x100 m medley relay 1976 Montreal 100 m backstroke 1976 Montreal 200 m backstroke World Championships (LC) 1978 Berlin 100 m backstroke Pan American Games 1975 Mexico City 100 m backstroke 1975 Mexico City 4x100 m medley relay 1979 San Juan 200 m backstroke

Peter Drake Rocca (born July 27, 1957) is an American former competition swimmer, Olympic medalist, and former world record-holder.

Rocca broke onto the international swimming scene winning two gold medals in the men's backstroke events (100-meter backstroke, 4×100-meter medley relay) at the 1975 Pan American Games in Mexico City. Peter participated at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Quebec, where he claimed two silver medals in the men's backstroke events (100 and 200-meter), and a gold medal swimming in the preliminaries of the men's 4 x 100 Medley relay. Rocca continued to swim after the Montreal Olympics—two years later he won the silver medal in the men's 100-meter backstroke event at the 1978 World Aquatics Championships in Berlin, Germany. He represented the United States again at the 1979 Pan American Games in San Juan, Puerto Rico, winning the 200-meter backstroke. In 1980, Rocca qualified for the Olympic team in both the 100-meter and 200-meter backstroke events and was elected team captain, only to have his culminating performances dashed by the United States-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow.

Rocca attended the University of California, Berkeley, competing for the California Golden Bears swimming and diving team under Hall of Fame Coach Nort Thornton., and was a member of the Kappa Delta Rho Fraternity. He was one of the top backstrokers in the world from 1975 through 1980, and competed in the eras of Roland Matthes and John Naber, finishing second to Naber in both backstroke events at the 1976 Olympics and beating Mathes in the 100-meter. In college competition, Rocca led a resurgence of the Golden Bears men's swim program, captaining and winning individual and the team titles his senior year in 1979. Additionally, he won seven USS titles; five individual and two relays.

At the age of 27, and after three years out of the water, Rocca made an Olympic comeback effort in 1984. At the 1984 U.S. Olympic Trials, he fell short of qualifying for the 1984 U.S. team, finishing fourth in the 200-meter and third in the 100-meter backstroke races.

See also

• List of Olympic medalists in swimming (men)
• List of World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming (men)
• World record progression 4 × 100 metres medley relay

References

• Peter Rocca at Olympics at Sports-Reference.com (archived)