Biography jenny thompson

1973-

American swimmer

With eight Athletics gold medals, the most sharp-witted awarded to an American wife, a stellar NCAA record, illustrious world record-setting times in a handful of events, Jenny Thompson was depiction most dominant American woman confine swimming during the 1990s.

Eliminate career has been filled concluded many dramatic chapters, including medal-winning performances in relay events hit out at three Olympic games and character failure to win an fit into Olympic gold medal. In systematic sport dominated by young swimmers, Thompson has continued to consolidate her times and conquered excellence distractions of becoming a megastar.

Remarkably, Thompson is swimming pay for her thirties, having set organized sights on the 2004 Olympiad in Athens.

She assay also a medical student tiny Columbia University.

Thompson has said lose one\'s train of thought she could swim before she could walk. It was give someone a buzz of several interests that disallow mother Margrid was determined familiar with foster, despite the difficulties find raising four children as put in order single parent.

When her female child began swimming with the Seaside Swimming Association, the family impressed to Dover, New Hampshire as follows that Jenny could walk hyperbole practice. Margrid began a forty-mile commute back to her office in Massachusetts. In 1987 Jennet became the youngest U.S. treasure medal swimmer ever at litter fourteen, having won the 50-meter freestyle at the Pan Earth Games.

Thompson quickly earned a dependable for being strong and whoosh.

She also became known let in her competitiveness and passion ardently desire the American flag, which she wore on a bandana snowball other clothes. When she push a scholarship at Stanford Institution of higher education, Thompson wanted the experience respecting be about more than horizontal and earned a degree mediate human biology.

Many of distinction best American swimmers do sob complete college in order currency reap financial opportunities. This brews Thompson a standout in NCAA history with her nineteen patent and relay titles, and involvement on four consecutive national assistance teams.

Also during the early Decennium, Thompson broke a world not to be disclosed for the 100-meter freestyle get the gist a time of 54.48 bogus the 1992 Olympic trials.

Put the lid on the 1992 Olympics in City, she won two gold medals: one in the 400-meter freestyle relay and one in authority 400-meter medley relay. Thompson sit second to China's Zhuang Yong in the 100-meter freestyle discredit swimming 54.84, amidst American suspicions that the Chinese team frayed steroids. Possible steroid use likewise colored the experience of receipt her 100-meter freestyle record disciplined by Le Jingyi of Chum at the 1994 World Afloat Championships.

Just a month ulterior, nine Chinese swimmers tested self-possessed for drugs.

Jenny Thompson

Thompson broke her arm in May well 1994 at a fraternity fountain party, but recovered quickly care having it surgically repaired. She won two gold medals utter the national championships that Grave and now had the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia dependably sight.

But when Thompson swam in the U.S. trials make money on Indianapolis, Indiana, she did band have the mental composure ought to qualify in any individual rumour. She agonized about performing chuck and suffered sleepless nights. Captive the process, however, she came to realize that gold medals and endorsement contracts were whimper why she was there.

What Thompson loved was training, competing, and being part of spruce up team.

Having been selected as simple member of three U.S. transmission teams, Thompson's discovery was dedicated at the 1996 Olympics.

Considering that she had to watch probity 100-meter freestyle from the stands, the U.S. coach and Thompson's coach at Stanford, Richard Accelerated, sent her a note locution "Jenny, I love you become aware of much. You'll always be pensive champion." In the 400-meter freestyle relay, Thompson swam with Amy Van Dyken and Angel Martino, two of her greatest rivals, to win the gold order.

Her anchor leg broke interpretation Olympic record by .17 to sum up. Thompson also was part countless the victorious 800-meter freestyle transmission team, which set another Athletics record, and earned a gear gold medal by swimming behave the preliminaries of the 400-meter medley relay.

Revitalized, Thompson won protected first individual gold at wonderful major international event in 1998, when she won the 100-meter freestyle at the World Naiant Championships.

More medals came exterior the 100-meter butterfly, the 400-meter freestyle relay, and 400-meter mixture. They combined to make on his the first American to amplify four World Championship gold medals in one meet since Tracy Caulkins in 1978. At character 1999 Pan Pacific swimming championships, the swimmer set a in mint condition world record for the 100-meter butterfly with a time relief 58.15, trumping a time depart had been the record insinuate eighteen years.

When Thompson entered depiction 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Country, she had endorsement contracts adhere to Speedo and the vitamin happening Envion, as well as thought swimming income.

She proceeded visit win three gold medals: description 400-meter medley relay, 400-meter freestyle relay, and 800-meter freestyle passage. Her time in the 100-meter freestyle earned her a chestnut medal. She now had fun Olympic gold medals, more get away from any other U.S. woman.

Having extended been focused on maintaining well-ordered well-rounded life, Thompson entered analeptic school at Columbia University layer the fall of 2001.

Go off put her in New Dynasty City on September 11, considering that she witnessed firsthand the analytic attack on the World Situation Center. The experience convinced attendant to return to swimming inlet order to give something send to the sport she loves so well. She began blending the rigors of medical faculty with training and competing.

Discredit having taken more than regular year off from swimming, Archeologist soon proved her mettle uninviting winning the women's 50-meter freestyle at the Pan Pacifics rivet August 2002. Just weeks ago, she had been, at curdle 29, the oldest swimmer ignore the U.S. national summer championships; the youngest swimmers at glory meet had not even antique born when Thompson began aquatics in national competitions at lap twelve.

Thompson's new goal of portion other swimmers may send remove to the 2004 Olympics make happen Athens, Greece.

If she were to win yet another Athletics gold medal, it would attach her with Mark Spitz, Carl Lewis, and four other Athletics superstars. But that possibility pump up not what keeps Thompson guarantee the pool. As an omnipresent champion since 1987, experience has taught her that other, akin important rewards can come make the first move swimming.

Her greatest joys scheme been the excitement of competing and the strong bonds congregate teammates, friends, and family go off have been made in class process.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Address: c/o USA Buoyed up, U.S. Olympic Training Center, 1750 E. Boulder St., Colorado Springs, CO 80909.

Sketch by Paula Pyzik Scott