Lance Melvin Larson (July 3, 1940 – January 19, 2024) was an American competition swimmer, Olympic champion, and world record-holder in four events.

Lance Melvin Larson was born in Monterey Park, California, and attended El Monte High School.

He enrolled in the University of Southern California, where he swam for the USC Trojans swimming and diving team in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) competition.

He was an "all-around" swimmer in the four-stroke individual medley, the butterfly, and the sprint freestyle, and he won Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) national championships in all three.

Larson competed at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy, where he received a gold medal for swimming the butterfly leg of the men's 4×100-meter medley relay for the winning U.S.

[2] The U.S. relay team of Frank McKinney (backstroke), Paul Hait (breaststroke), Larson (butterfly), and Jeff Farrell (freestyle) set a new world record of 4:05.4 in the event final.

[4][1] The United States team appealed, bolstered by videotaped footage of the finish that appeared to show Larson the winner.

[8] At the time of his death,whe was survived by his wife Sherri, three sons: Greg, Gary and Randy; two daughters: Jairica Fosburg and Danica Juliano; three stepdaughters: Erica Leon, Jessica Sherwood, and Monica Jara; and 10 grandchildren.