born january née american competition swimmer time olympic gold medalist time world champion world record holder events noted versatility ability major competitive swimming strokes butterfly freestyle won national championships set american records strokes range distances individual medley events combine strokes course single race versatility brought titles awards result considered greatest swimmers time time retired competitive swimming set world records american records american swimmer male female early years born minnesota swam club later nashville tennessee trained future olympic coach high school education attended girls nashville older sister amy competition swimmer water polo player olympic desire year old training swimmer little year watched munich olympics television decided wanted swim olympics win gold medal interview credited olympic dream inspiration motivation thirteen year old competed national swimming championships year later returned short course championships set records yard yard individual medley events set record finishing second canadian swimmer yard age won gold medals silver medal world championships won meter individual medley meter individual medley meter butterfly member winning teams meter medley relay meter freestyle relay process set world records american record largely result performance berlin won given recognition outstanding american amateur athlete year years old youngest recipient followed world championship success series dominating finishes competition short course championships california set records yard yard freestyle yard individual medley yard individual medley yard freestyle leg yard relay helped club team win yard medley relay place second yard freestyle relay despite setting new records physical best suffering effects viral infection months later won gold medals san_juan puerto_rico following gold medal performance world championship expected win multiple medals summer olympics moscow russia qualified compete individual events likely selected member relay teams olympic team games behest president following soviet_union invasion afghanistan dream olympic gold deferred war politics quietly looked ahead year old high school senior set american short course records short course championships cambridge massachusetts events previously set american record yard yard yard individual medley yard individual medley years maintained training attending florida swam coach swimming diving team ncaa competition followed older sister amy amy established member swim team leading way freshman won ncaa team championship finished second individually years swimmer won sixteen ncaa championships sec individual titles received american honors sec year recognized sec year recipient sports award swimming diving consecutive years recognizing outstanding college female swimmer year short course championships year old won national championships yard yard individual medley yard individual medley yard thirty national championships date surpassed legendary record total thirty continued win fellow americans falling international competition set new international records increasingly frustrated performances world championships ecuador finished distant meter meter individual medley events east german competition failed place event entered long course championships california finished seconds slower american record meter individual medley finished second meter butterfly pan american games venezuela held later month likewise won signature events meter meter individual medley approach personal afterward coach rigorous training methods international meet nations held austin texas january defeated east german rivals individual medley events ncaa national championships later spring won individual titles yard individual yard yard butterfly member winning relay teams yard yard freestyle events set new ncaa records events new american record yard individual medley summer olympics los_angeles california served captain women swim team finally realized childhood dream winning olympic gold medal july won gold medal meter individual medley beating australian seconds august won second gold medal meter individual medley olympic record time fellow american half seconds later day won gold medal swimming leg member winning team meter medley relay teammates butterfly freestyle finished fourth meter second winner ended competition swimming career having set world records american records having won national championship titles life competition swimming aftermath olympics year old decided senior year ncaa eligibility focus completing degree requirements announced retirement competition swimming graduated florida bachelor degree broadcasting inducted great inducted married olympic gold medal swimmer australia fellow alumnus lived australia shortly graduating live queensland australia children american australian dual citizen recognized married service sport administrator proponent sporting opportunities women medal order australia australian government receiving medal american described proud australian world records women meter individual medley women meter individual medley women meter freestyle relay note record times locations sourced list world records
Tracy Caulkins