US Olympian and swimming coach Richard Thornton, 65, dies while surfing in California, while his brother says he died 'doing what he loved'
- Richard Thornton was part of the 1980 Olympic team that boycotted the Games
- He coached the San Ramon Valley Aquatics since 1984
- DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news
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U.S. Olympian and swimming coach Richard Thornton, 65, has died after a medical emergency while surfing, his brother said Thursday.
Thornton was at a popular surfing spot in Santa Cruz when his death occurred
“Sorry to share this information, but Richard Thornton passed away today while surfing The Hook in Santa Cruz,” Marc Thornton, Richard's younger brother, wrote on Facebook.
'Doing what he loved. There's more to come, but I wanted to let everyone know.”
Thornton was a member of the 1980 U.S. Olympic swimming team that boycotted the Moscow Summer Games.
Richard Thornton died while surfing at The Hook in Santa Cruz, his brother said this week
Thornton (second from left) is seen with his father (center) and other members of his family in an undated photo
He later moved into coaching and has led the San Ramon Valley Aquatics since 1984.
Thornton also coached U.S. national and junior national teams in Paris, Japan and Brazil, according to the newspaper San Francisco Chronicle.
He had graduated from UC Berkley with a bachelor's degree, and his father Nort was the school's swimming coach for more than thirty years.
Pacific Swimming called Thornton's death “a great loss to the swimming community” in a statement.