Michael Ray Barrowman (born December 4, 1968) is an American former swimmer, one of the pioneers of the "Wave-Style" Breaststroke technique. Prior to attending University of Michigan, he trained with Rockville-Montgomery Swim Club and Curl-Burke Swim Club in Maryland.

He placed 4th in the 1988 Summer Olympics

1988 Summer Olympics

The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...

 in the 200m Breaststroke

Breaststroke

The breaststroke is a swimming style in which the swimmer is on his or her chest and the torso does not rotate. It is the most popular recreational style due to its stability and the ability to keep the head out of the water a large portion of the time. In most swimming classes, beginners learn...

. He set a world record in the same event the following year at the USA Swimming

USA Swimming

USA Swimming is the national governing body for competitive swimming in the United States. It is charged with selecting the United States Olympic Swimming team and any other teams which officially represent the United States, as well as the overall organization and operation of the sport within the...

 Long Course National Championships with a time of 2:12.90. The following year at the 1990 Goodwill Games

1990 Goodwill Games

The 1990 Goodwill Games was the second edition of the international multi-sport event created by Ted Turner, which was held between July 20 and August 5, 1990. Following an inaugural edition in Moscow, the second games took place in Seattle, United States, highlighting the competition's role in...

 he recorded a time of 2:11.53 and beat two other swimmers who also bested the previous world mark. in 1991, he was named Champion of the World in the World Championships in Perth Australia, winning the 200 breaststroke in world record time. In 1992 he returned to the Olympics

1992 Summer Olympics

The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...

 in Barcelona

Barcelona

Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...

 and won the gold medal in the same event in world record time. He later temporarily retired from swimming and took up competitive flatwater kayaking, competing at the U.S. Olympic Festival in 1995. He is now a banker, and part-time masters swim coach in the Cayman Islands

Cayman Islands

The Cayman Islands is a British Overseas Territory and overseas territory of the European Union located in the western Caribbean Sea. The territory comprises the three islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman, located south of Cuba and northwest of Jamaica...

, but had previously owned a film studio which created an award winning underwater television program for children, "Under the Waves". Barrowman was known for his high consumption of hamburgers and French fries during his taper period just prior to a major meet, while he would maintain a strict diet during training season.

Barrowman swam for four years for the University of Michigan

University of Michigan

The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...

. Between 1989 and 1991, he won three consecutive NCAA titles in the 200 yard breaststroke. His NCAA record of 1:53.77 from 1990, would stand strong for eleven seasons, and was the oldest men's NCAA record in 2001, when it was broken by Brendan Hansen

Brendan Hansen

Brendan Joseph Hansen is an American breaststroke swimmer and four-time Olympic medalist...

. He broke the world record in the 200 meter breaststroke six times, and held the world's record for over 13 years, both achievements are world records in themselves.

He was named World Swimmer of the Year in 1989 and 1990 by Swimming World magazine

Swimming World magazine

Swimming World Magazine is an American-based monthly swimming magazine, that was first published in a magazine format as Junior Swimmer in January of 1960...

, and inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1997.