Jon Olsen

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Jon Olsen
Personal information
Full nameJon C. Olsen
National team United States
Born (1969-04-25) April 25, 1969 (age 52)
New Britain, Connecticut
Height6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Weight181 lb (82 kg)
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesFreestyle
ClubCurl-Burke Swim Club
College teamUniversity of Alabama
Medal record
Men's swimming
Representing the United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1992 Barcelona 4×100 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 1992 Barcelona 4×100 m medley
Gold medal – first place 1996 Atlanta 4×100 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 1996 Atlanta 4×200 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 1992 Barcelona 4×200 m freestyle
World Championships (LC)
Gold medal – first place 1994 Rome
Gold medal – first place 1998 Perth 4×100 m freestyle
World Championships (SC)
Gold medal – first place 1993 Palma 4×100 m medley
Silver medal – second place 1993 Palma 4×100 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 1993 Palma 100 m freestyle
Pan Pacific Championships
Gold medal – first place 1989 Tokyo
Gold medal – first place 1989 Tokyo
Gold medal – first place 1991 Edmonton
Gold medal – first place 1991 Edmonton
Gold medal – first place 1993 Kobe 50 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 1993 Kobe 100 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 1993 Kobe
Gold medal – first place 1993 Kobe
Gold medal – first place 1995 Atlanta
Gold medal – first place 1997 Fukuoka 4×100 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 1989 Tokyo
Silver medal – second place 1995 Atlanta 100 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 1995 Atlanta
Pan American Games
Gold medal – first place 1995 Mar del Plata 4×100 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 1995 Mar del Plata 4×200 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 1995 Mar del Plata 4×100 m medley
Silver medal – second place 1995 Mar del Plata 100 m freestyle

Jon C. Olsen (born April 25, 1969) is an American former competition swimmer, four-time Olympic champion, and former world record-holder. Olsen was a successful relay swimmer for the U.S. national team in the late 1980s and 1990s. He has won a total of 27 medals in major international competition, 20 gold, 5 silver, and 2 bronze spanning the Olympics, the World, Pan Pacific, and the Pan American championships.

Swimming career[]

Olsen represented the United States at two consecutive Olympic Games, and won a total number of five Olympic medals, including four golds. At the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, he won his first gold medal as a member of the winning U.S. team in the men's 4×100-meter freestyle relay, together with teammates Joe Hudepohl, Matt Biondi and Tom Jager. He won a second gold medal for swimming the freestyle anchor leg for the first-place U.S. team in the men's 4×100-meter medley relay. With his medley relay teammates Jeff Rouse (backstroke), Nelson Diebel (breaststroke), and Pablo Morales (butterfly), he tied the world record in the event of 3:36.93. He also received a bronze medal as a member of the third-place U.S. team in the men's 4×200-meter freestyle relay. Individually, he also placed fourth in the final of the men's 100-meter freestyle with a time of 49.51 seconds.[1]

Four years later at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, Olsen again won a gold medal as a member of the first-place U.S. team in the men's 4×100-meter freestyle relay with fellow team members Josh Davis, Brad Schumacher and Gary Hall, Jr., and set a new Olympic record of 3:15.41. He received another gold for swimming for the winning U.S. team in the preliminary heats of the men's 4×200-meter freestyle relay. He also competed in the individual men's 100-meter freestyle and placed ninth overall in the B Final of the event with a time of 49.80 seconds.[1] Olsen was elected captain of the U.S. Olympic swim team at the 1996 Games by his teammates.

During his career, Olsen was trained by former freestyle sprinter Jonty Skinner. He was also coached by the current Laurel Swim Association head coach, Warren Holladay, who was previously an assistant coach at the University of Alabama. Olsen attended the University of Alabama, where he swam for Alabama Crimson Tide swimming and diving team. He currently resides in the Florida Keys with his family where he coaches swimming. He has two daughters and a son.

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Athletes, Jon Olsen. Retrieved November 1, 2012.
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