View source for Roy Saari

{{Short description|American swimmer and water polo player (1945–2008)}}
{{use mdy dates|date=March 2022}}
{{Infobox swimmer
| name           = Roy Saari
| image          = Roy Saari 1963.jpg
| image_size     = 225px
| alt            =
| caption        = Saari in 1963
| full_name      = Roy Allen Saari
| nicknames      = 
| national_team  = United States
| birth_date     = {{Birth date|1945|2|26|mf=y}}
| birth_place    = [[Buffalo, New York]], U.S.
| death_date     = {{Death date and age|2008|12|30|1945|2|26|mf=y}}
| death_place    = [[Mammoth Lakes, California]], U.S.
| height         = {{convert|6|ft|2|in|m|abbr=on}}<ref name=sr/>
| weight         = {{convert|190|lb|kg|abbr=on}}
| strokes        = [[Freestyle swimming|Freestyle]]
| club           = El Segundo Swim Club
| coach          = [[Peter Daland]]<ref name=ishof2/>
| collegeteam    = [[USC Trojans|University of Southern California]]
| medaltemplates = 
{{MedalSport | Men's swimming}}
{{MedalCountry | the United States}}
{{MedalCompetition | [[Swimming at the Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[1964 Summer Olympics|1964 Tokyo]] | [[Swimming at the 1964 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay|4×200 m freestyle]]}}
{{MedalSilver | 1964 Tokyo | [[Swimming at the 1964 Summer Olympics – Men's 400 metre individual medley|400 m medley]]}}
{{MedalCompetition | [[Pan American Games]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[1963 Pan American Games|1963 São Paulo]] | [[Swimming at the 1963 Pan American Games – Men's 400 metre freestyle|400 m freestyle]]}}
{{MedalGold | 1963 São Paulo | [[Swimming at the 1963 Pan American Games – Men's 1500 metre freestyle|1500 m freestyle]]}}
{{MedalCompetition | [[Universiade]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[1965 Summer Universiade|1965 Budapest]] |  [[Swimming at the 1965 Summer Universiade|4×100 m freestyle]]}}
{{MedalGold | 1965 Budapest | 4×200 m freestyle}}
}}

'''Roy Allen Saari''' (February 26, 1945 – December 30, 2008) was an American [[swimming (sport)|swimmer]] and water polo player. He qualified for the [[1964 Summer Olympics]] in both disciplines, and chose swimming, as the Olympic rules of the time did not allow him to compete in two sports. He won a gold medal as a member of the first-place U.S. team in the [[Swimming at the 1964 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay|4×200-meter freestyle relay]], setting a new world record in the final with teammates [[Steve Clark (swimmer)|Steve Clark]], [[Gary Ilman]] and [[Don Schollander]] (7:52.1).  Individually he earned a silver medal in the [[Swimming at the 1964 Summer Olympics – Men's 400 metre individual medley|400-meter individual medley]] (4:47.1).  He also advanced to the finals of the [[Swimming at the 1964 Summer Olympics – Men's 400 metre freestyle|400-meter freestyle]] and [[Swimming at the 1964 Summer Olympics – Men's 1500 metre freestyle|1,500-meter freestyle]], placing fourth and seventh, respectively. Before the Olympics Saari became the first person to break the 17 minute barrier over 1500 m, but in the Olympic final he was suffering from a cold and clocked a mere 17:29.2.<ref name=sr/><ref name=ishof2/>

He and his younger brother [[Robert Saari]] were on the 1964 Olympic water polo team, which was coached by their father, Urho Saari. He attended the [[University of Southern California]] and swam for the [[USC Trojans]] swimming and diving team.<ref>{{cite news |title=Saari Leads USC Swimming Victory |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/115311207/roy-saari-1945-2008/ |work=Independent |date=February 20, 1966 |location=Long Beach, CA |page=64 |access-date=December 28, 2022 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}} {{Open access}}</ref> He also played water polo at the national level. He graduated from USC in 1967 and received his law degree from [[Loyola Law School|Loyola Marymount University]] in 1973. Between 1973 and 1978 he practiced law in Orange County, California, and then worked as a real estate agent and planning commissioner in [[Mammoth Lakes, California]].<ref name=sr/><ref name=ishof2/>

Saari died on December 30, 2008, of [[heart failure]], aged 63.<ref name=ishof2/><ref name=nelson1032009>Valerie J. Nelson (January 3, 2009) [http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-saari3-2009jan03,0,6943553.story "Roy Saari, 63; USC swimming star won gold and silver in 1964 Olympics]," ''Los Angeles Times''.  Retrieved October 6, 2012.</ref> Earlier in 1976 he was inducted into the [[International Swimming Hall of Fame]].<ref name=ishof/> In 1982, he was inducted into the [[USA Water Polo Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Roy Saari (1982) |url=https://usawaterpolo.org/hof.aspx?hof=199 |website=usawaterpolo.org |publisher=[[USA Water Polo]] |access-date=18 September 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Hall of Fame Inductees |url=https://usawaterpolo.org/sports/2018/11/28/trads-hof-inductees-html.aspx |website=usawaterpolo.org |publisher=[[USA Water Polo]] |access-date=18 September 2020 }}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of Olympic medalists in swimming (men)]]
* [[List of members of the International Swimming Hall of Fame]]
* [[List of University of Southern California people]]
* [[World record progression 1500 metres freestyle]]
* [[World record progression 4 × 200 metres freestyle relay]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|refs=
<ref name=ishof>{{cite web |url=https://ishof.org/roy-saari--(usa).html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905182850/http://ishof.org/roy-saari--(usa).html |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 5, 2015 |title=Roy Saari (USA) – 1976 Honor Swimmer |website=ISHOF.org |publisher=[[International Swimming Hall of Fame]] }}</ref>
<ref name=ishof2>{{cite web |url=http://www.ishof.org/roy-saari.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150212051150/http://www.ishof.org/roy-saari.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 12, 2015 |title=Roy Saari Passes Away |website=ISHOF.org |publisher=[[International Swimming Hall of Fame]] }}</ref>
<ref name=sr>{{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/sa/roy-saari-1.html |title=Roy Saari |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417165637/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/sa/roy-saari-1.html |archive-date=2020-04-17 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Roy Saari}}
* {{Sports links}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-ach|rec}}
{{succession box
| before = [[John Konrads]]
| title = [[World record progression 1500 metres freestyle|Men's 1,500-meter freestyle<br>world record-holder (long course)]]
| years = August 17, 1963 – August 2, 1964
| after = [[Murray Rose]]
}}
{{succession box
| before = Murray Rose
| title = Men's 1,500-meter freestyle<br>world record-holder (long course)
| years = September 2, 1964 – August 15, 1965
| after = [[Stephen Krause]]
}}
{{s-end}}
{{Footer USA Swimming 1964 Summer Olympics}}
{{Olympic Champions Swimming 4x200 m Men Freestyle Relay}}
{{Footer Pan American Champions 400 m Freestyle Men}}
{{Footer Pan American Champions 1500 m Freestyle Men}}
{{Footer Universiade Champions 4x100m Freestyle Men}}
{{Footer Universiade Champions 4x200m Freestyle Men}}
{{Footer NCAA Division I men's swimming and diving championships – men's 200 y individual medley champions}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saari, Roy}}
[[Category:1945 births]]
[[Category:2008 deaths]]
[[Category:American male freestyle swimmers]]
[[Category:American male medley swimmers]]
[[Category:American people of Finnish descent]]
[[Category:California lawyers]]
[[Category:World record setters in swimming]]
[[Category:Loyola Law School alumni]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1964 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for the United States in swimming]]
[[Category:Olympic silver medalists for the United States in swimming]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Buffalo, New York]]
[[Category:Swimmers at the 1964 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:USC Trojans men's swimmers]]
[[Category:Summer World University Games medalists in swimming]]
[[Category:FISU World University Games gold medalists for the United States]]
[[Category:American male water polo players]]
[[Category:20th-century American lawyers]]
[[Category:Swimmers at the 1963 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1963 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States in swimming]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]