Bruce Barton

Bruce Barton competed at the 1973 and 1975 World Junior Championships, and the 1974, 1978 and 1979 Senior Worlds. By the time of the 1976 Olympics he had been paddling for seven years, winning over 200 races, and would win six US titles in his career. Barton attended Michigan State University and competed for the Niles Canoe Club in Michigan.

Later in life, he continued to race long-distance canoe races, notably winning the 2014 Adirondack Canoe Classic in C-4, a 90-mile race, in his sixth attempt at the event. Barton was the brother of Greg Barton, the greatest flatwater canoeist in US history. All the Barton children were introduced to canoeing quite young — and all three of them wound up on a U.S. National Team.

Bruce and Greg competed in the Olympic Games and Connie in the Junior World Championships. Bruce ran cross-country in school, while Connie played girls’ basketball and ran the two-mile event in track, but canoeing was their main sport.