Steve Furniss
An innovative breaststroker who shattered world records and claimed Olympic bronze, then built a successful business empire in swimwear.
Born 1952 (age 74)·American swimmer·Birthday: December 21·Baby Boomers
Biography
Steve Furniss didn't just swim fast; he helped change how the stroke was swum. Emerging from the powerhouse USC swim program in the early 1970s, Furniss was at the forefront of a technical revolution in breaststroke, utilizing a wider, more powerful kick. This innovation propelled him to break world records in the 200-meter distance and earned him a bronze medal at the 1972 Munich Olympics. His athletic career, marked by both individual brilliance and relay success for the U.S. team, was just the first act. With a keen business mind, Furniss co-founded TYR Sport, a company that grew from a small operation into a major global competitor in the technical swimwear and equipment market. His journey from world-record holder to industry leader is a rare double in the world of sports.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Steve was born in 1952, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Steve Was Born
The biggest hits of 1952
#1 Movie
The Greatest Show on Earth
Best Picture
The Greatest Show on Earth
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Steve's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1952Born
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1957Started school
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1965Became a teenager
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1968Could drive
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1970Could vote
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1973Turned 21
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1982Turned 30
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1992Turned 40
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 50
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 60
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2022Turned 70
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2026Age 74 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Set the world record in the 200-meter breaststroke in 1973 with a time of 2:20.52.
- Won the bronze medal in the 200-meter breaststroke at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich.
- Co-founded TYR Sport, which became a leading manufacturer of competitive swimwear, goggles, and equipment.
- Was a member of the U.S. national team that set a world record in the 4x100-meter medley relay at the 1973 World Championships.
Did You Know?
His younger brother, Bruce Furniss, was also an Olympic gold medalist swimmer, making them a formidable sibling duo in the sport.
He swam for the legendary coach Peter Daland at the University of Southern California.
The name 'TYR' is derived from the Norse god of law and justice, not an acronym.
“We changed the stroke by thinking about the water differently.”
