Olympic Medalist Mike Orn On Malmsten, LA28, And Why Lane Lines Are Faster Than You Think
6/12/202635 min
In this GMM takeover of the SwimSwam Podcast, we sit down with Mike Orn, Olympic medalist, NCAA champion, and CEO of Malmsten Inc., the U.S. division of Malmsten AB. Mike was an NCAA champion in the 200 freestyle, going 1:36.02 in 1983, and later won Olympic hardware as part of Sweden’s 4x100 freestyle relay at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Now, more than four decades later, he is preparing for a very different kind of return to LA. This time, Mike won’t be racing between the lane lines. He’ll be helping put them in. Malmsten is the official lane supplier for World Aquatics, European Aquatics, and PanAm Aquatics, which means its lane lines sit in the water for many of the biggest meets on earth. That includes the road to LA 2028, where Mike returns to the Olympic stage 44 years after his medal-winning moment (this time helping install Malmsten lane lines in the Olympic pool at SoFi Stadium).
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Transcript preview
First 90 secondsMel Stewart· Host0:00
[upbeat music] I'm Mel Stewart, and this is a GMM takeover of the Swim Swam podcast. Joining me today, Mike Horn. 200 free NCAA champion in 1983, 1984 Olympic medalist in the 4x1, and also the CEO of Malmsten USA. If you watch world championships, European aquatics, now Pan Am aquatics, you are looking at Malmsten lane lines. And I know that Mike Horn is excited to return to Los Angeles in 2028, 44 years after his 1984 Olympic moment where he stood on the podium, except this time he's gonna be putting in the lane lines. Hope you enjoy this conversation. Mike Horn. Mike, what's up?
Mike Orn· Guest0:39
Hey, uh, not too much. I'm just happy to be on, uh, the Swim Swam cast with you, Mel.
Mel Stewart· Host0:44
[laughs] It's good to see you. I, I gave you a really big intro. Uh, I dropped your NCAA championship, which, you know, I, I... You, you, you, you, you share Olympic medals, and people love that, but if you really wanna go deep in the weeds with swim fans, you tell somebody they're an NCAA champion, you have their attention. [laughs] We- You've been on the podcast before. We've never told the story of your NCAA championship. So it was 200 free, 1983, under Coach Ron Johnson.
Mike Orn· Guest1:12
Yep.
Mel Stewart· Host1:13
Take me through it. Take me through it.
Mike Orn· Guest1:14
So first, Ron Johnson was the coach, uh, for Mexico in the Olympic Games in '68, Mexico City, and he coached one gold medal and one silver medal for, for, uh, for Mexico back then. So he was a, um, he was