Swimming at the 1992 Barcelona Summer Games:

Swimming rules for backstroke were slightly different in 1992, as no hand touch was required at the turn, a rule put into effect in March 1991. Jeff Rouse was the heavy favorite, having set the world record in August 1991 at the Pan Pacific meet under the new rule. He was also the 1991 World Champion and had won both backstroke events at the 1991 Pan Pacs. Rouse qualified fastest followed by Canada’s Mark Tewksbury, who had been runner-up to him at the 1991 Worlds, but came into Barcelona with a personal best of only 55.19, far from Rouse’s record 53.93. Rouse started fastest and led at the turn but Tewksbury came back strong, and won gold by a hand touch, 0.06 seconds. Rouse knew his win was an upset, stating, “Realistically, on paper, I shouldn’t have been there.” Rouse would come back a few days later and break his world record on the opening leg of the medley relay final.