David Berkoff
The swimming innovator who revolutionized backstroke with a furious underwater dolphin kick, changing how the event was swum forever.
Born 1966 (age 60)·American swimmer·Birthday: November 30·Generation X
Biography
David Berkoff didn't just win races; he rewrote the rulebook. Entering the swimming scene in the late 1980s, the Harvard-educated backstroker introduced a tactic so dominant it sparked a rule change. The 'Berkoff Blastoff' was a blistering underwater start, where he would dolphin kick for an unprecedented 35 meters of the 100-meter race, surfacing only to turn and finish. This technique, powered by his powerful legs, made him nearly unbeatable and shattered world records. He first stunned the world at the 1988 Olympic Trials, becoming the first man under 55 seconds in the 100m backstroke. Though his underwater dominance was later curtailed by regulations, his four Olympic medals and his role as a pioneer are secure. Berkoff forced the entire swimming world to reconsider the physics and strategy of his event, proving that innovation could come from beneath the surface.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
David was born in 1966, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When David Was Born
The biggest hits of 1966
#1 Movie
The Bible: In the Beginning
Best Picture
A Man for All Seasons
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
David's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1966Born
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1971Started school
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1979Became a teenager
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Could drive
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1984Could vote
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1987Turned 21
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1996Turned 30
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 40
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 50
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 60
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Broke the world record in the 100-meter backstroke three times in 1988, first going under 55 seconds.
- Won four Olympic medals: two silver medals in 1988 and gold and bronze medals in 1992.
- Pioneered the extensive use of the underwater dolphin kick off the start, a technique later nicknamed the 'Berkoff Blastoff.'
- Inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 2005.
Did You Know?
He swam collegiately for Harvard University, earning a degree in history.
The rule limiting underwater dolphin kicks to 15 meters after starts and turns was partly inspired by his dominance.
He won his Olympic gold medal in 1992 as part of the 4x100 meter medley relay team.
After swimming, he pursued a career in law and finance.
“The water is faster than the air, so I stayed under as long as I could.”
