Natalie Coughlin

PRONOUNCED: COG-lin

Background

United States (also known as USA) swimmer and Olympian in 2008, 2004 Wikipedia:Natalie Coughlin

• Natalie Coughlin at the United States (also known as USA) Olympic Trials in 2008, gave herself a chance to match or better her metal total from the 2004 Olympics in Athens of five medals. She won the 100 back in a world-record time of 58.97 and finishing second in the 100 free to Dara Torres and the 200 IM to Katie Hoff, an event she decided to swim just two weeks ago.

Insights

• Hoff takes on Coughlin in 200 IM fly at US Olympic trials - 07/02/08 - OMAHA, Neb. (AP) -- Katie Hoff and Natalie Coughlin usually dominate their events in the pool. But the indefatigable teenager and the highly decorated Olympian rarely swim against each other.

• http://www.teamusa.org/Bloggers-for-TeamUSA/Natalie-Coughlin.aspx Blog from USOC.

Background

• Swimmer at Cal Aquatics
• in 2008 = 25 DOB: Aug 23, 1982
• 5' 8" (172.7 cm)
• Hometown = Lafayette, Calif.
• in 2008 resides in Lafayette, Calif.
• former resident of Vallejo Calif.
• Coach = Teri McKeever
• Wikipedia:Natalie Coughlin
• USA Swimming's media guide provided some source materials.

Career Highlights:

Just the third American woman to win five Olympic medals at one meet, including two gold in the 100m backstroke and as a member of the world record-setting 4x200m freestyle relay … first woman to swim the 100m back in less than one minute … Broke her own 5-year-old world record in the 100m backstroke at the 2007 World Championships ... 2002 USA Swimming Swimmer of the Year ... three-time NCAA Swimmer of the Year ... three-time Sullivan Award finalist (nation's top amateur athlete) ... first person since Tracy Caulkins (1978) to win five U.S. National titles at one meet (August 2002) ... broke the American record in the 200m IM at the 2008 Janet Evans Invitational

Olympics:

2004: Only the third American woman to win five Olympic medals at one meet, including two gold 100m BK & 800m FR-R(WR); Silver, 400m FR-R & 400m MR; Bronze, 100m FR

World Championships

2007: Gold, 100m BK(WR)/800m FR-R(WR); Silver, 400m FR-R(United States (also known as USA) / American Record)/400m MR-R; Bronze, 100m FL(United States (also known as USA) / American Record); 4, 100m FR(United States (also known as USA) / American Record); 8, 50m FR ... 2005: Gold, 800m FR-R; Silver, 100m FR(tie) & 400m MR; Bronze, 100m BK & 400m FR-R ... 2003: Gold, 400m FR-R; Silver, 400m MR ... 2001: Gold, 100m BK & 800m FR-R(United States (also known as USA) / American Record); Silver, 400m MR; Bronze, 50m BK

2007 World Rankings:

13th, 50m free; 2nd, 100m free; 3rd, 200m free; 24th, 400m free; 3rd, 50m back; 1st, 100m back; 7th, 50m fly; 3rd, 100m fly

2006 World Rankings:

8th, 50m free; 5th, 100m free; 8th, 200m free; 1st, 100m back; 3rd, 100m fly; 45th, 200m IM

2005 World Rankings:

55th, 50m free; 6th, 100m free; 12th, 200m free; 1st, 100m back; 12th, 100m fly; 32nd, 200m IM

Records:

• Holds world record in 100m BK (Prelim), set at 2008 Missouri Grand Prix.
• Holds WR in 800m FR-R, set at 2007 World Championships.
• Holds WR in 100m IM (Short Course Meters), set at 2002 US FINA World Cup NY.
• Holds WR in 100m BK (Short Course Meters), set at 2002 US FINA World Cup NY
• Holds (United States (also known as USA) / American Record) in 200m IM, set at 2008 CA Janet Evans Invitational
• Holds (United States (also known as USA) / American Record) in 100m BK (Prelim), set at 2008 Missouri Grand Prix.
• Holds (United States (also known as USA) / American Record) in 100m FR (Semi), set at 2007 World Championships.
• Former (United States (also known as USA) / American Record) holder in 200m FR, set at 2007 World Championships.
• Holds (United States (also known as USA) / American Record) in 100m FL, set at 2007 World Championships.
• Holds (United States (also known as USA) / American Record) in 200y FR, set at 2007 Long Beach Grand Prix.
• Former (United States (also known as USA) / American Record) holder in 200m BK, set at 2002 US Phillips 66 Nationals.
• Holds United States Open record in 200m IM, set at 2008 CA Janet Evans Invitational
• Holds USO in 100m BK (Prelim), set at 2008 Missouri Grand Prix.
• Holds USO in 200y FR, set at 2007 Long Beach Grand Prix

United States (also known as USA) Swim Titles

200m Free (2): '06 SUM, '02 SUM 200m Back (3): '02 SUM (United States (also known as USA) / American Record), '98 SUM, '98 SPG 100m Fly (3): '06 SUM, '02 SUM, '01 SPG 100m Back (3): '05 SPG, '02 SUM (WR), '01 SPG 100m Free (2): '05 SPG, '02 SUM

Details

General Accolades: Three-time Sullivan Award finalist for the nation's top amateur athlete (2001, 02, 05).

• 2004 Female Athlete of the Year and two-time Relay Performance of the Year (2004 Olympic and 2005 World Champ 800m free relay) …
• 2003 Women's Sports Foundation Sportswoman of the Year
• 2002 USA Swimming Athlete of the Year

International:

• 2002 Swimming World Female World Swimmer of the Year

National Teams:

Eight-time National A Team (1997-98, 01-06) ... 1997 National Junior Team All-Star Team: Seven-time (1998, 01-06) Meet Honors: First person since Tracy Caulkins (1978) to win five U.S. National titles at one meet (August 2002) ... had qualifying times for 1998 National Championships for every event and every stroke (first swimmer to do so)

Splash:

• Two-time Olympian (2008, 2004)
• Five Olympic Medals (2g, 2s, 1b) in 2004.
• 16 World medals (6g, 6s, 4b)

International Medals

2007 World Championships 2007: Gold, 100m BK (WR); Gold, 200m FR (United States (also known as USA) / American Record); Gold, 800m FR-R (WR); Silver, 400m FR-R (United States (also known as USA) / American Record); Silver, 400m MED-R; Bronze, 100m FL (United States (also known as USA) / American Record) 2007 Duel in The Pool 2007: Gold, 100m BK 2006 Pan Pacific Champs 2006: Gold, 400m FR-R; Gold, 800m FR-R; Gold, 400m MED-R 2005 World Championships 2005: Bronze, 400m FR-R 2004 Olympic Games 2004: Gold, 800m FR-R (WR); Silver, 400m FR-R (United States (also known as USA) / American Record); Silver, 400m MED-R; Gold, 100m BK; Bronze, 100m FR

Top Times

Event 50m FR 100m FR 200m FR 100m BK 100m FL Best 24.92 53.39 1:56.43 59.21 57.34 Year May 08 May 08 Mar 07 Feb 08 Mar 07

2008

08 SCSC GP - t3 Final, 50m FR; t2 Final, 100m FR; t1 Final, 100m BK

2007

SCY NATS - t1 Final, 50y FR; t1 Final, 100y FR; t1 Final, 100y BK; t2 Final, 100y FL SCSC GP - t1 Final, 100m FR; t1 Final, 100m FL; 1 Final, 400m FR-R MoO DiP - 1 Final, 100m BK WORLD - 8 Final, 50m FR; 1 Semi, 100m FR (United States (also known as USA) / American Record); 4 Final, 100m FR; t1 Final, 200m FR (United States (also known as USA) / American Record); 1 Final, 100m BK (WR); 3 Final, 100m FL (United States (also known as USA) / American Record); 2 Final, 400m FR-R (United States (also known as USA) / American Record); 1 Final, 800m FR-R (WR); 2 Final, 400m MED-R

2006

PAN PAC - 2 Final, 50m FR; 1 Final, 100m FR; 2 Final, 100m BK; 1 Final, 400m FR-R; 1 Final, 800m FR-R; 1 Final, 400m MED-R SUM NATS - 2 Final, 50m FR; 2 Final, 100m FR; 1 Final, 200m FR; 1 Final, 100m FL

2005

MoO DiP - 1 Final, 100m BK WORLD - t2 Final, 100m FR; 3 Final, 100m BK; 6 Final, 50m FL; 3 Final, 400m FR-R WC TRIALS - 1 Final, 100m FR; 1 Final, 100m BK; 3 Final, 100m FL

2004

OLY - 3 Final, 100m FR; 1 Final, 100m BK; 2 Final, 400m FR-R (United States (also known as USA) / American Record); 1 Final, 800m FR-R (WR); 1 Final, 800m FR-R (United States (also known as USA) / American Record); 1 Final, 800m FR-R (OR); 2 Final, 400m MED-R OLY TRIALS - 6 Final, 50m FR; t5 Final, 50m FR; 2 Final, 100m FR; 1 Final, 100m FR; 1 Final, 100m BK; 1 Final, 100m 91BK

2003

WORLD - 6 Semi, 100m FL; 8 Final, 100m FL; 1 Final, 400m FR-R; 2 Final, 400m MED-R MoO DiP - 1 Final, 100m BK; 1 Final, 100m FL

Meet Honors: World record holder in the 100m back (first woman under one minute) ...

swam MoO DiP - 1 Final, 100m BK; 1 Final, 100m FLthe lead-off leg of the world record-setting 4x200m free relay at the 2004 Olympic Games (the 2002 SUM NATS - 1 Final, 100m FR; 1 Final, 200m FR; 1 Final, former 17-year-old record was the oldest one on the books); her lead-off split was the second-100m BK (WR); 1 Final, 200m BK; 1 Final, 100m FL fastest time by an American woman and would have won the 200m free individually in Athens 2001 Worlds - 3 Final, 50m BK (United States (also known as USA) / American Record); 1 Final, 100m BK; 4 Final, 50m

Collegiate:

Three-time NCAA Swimmer of the Year (2001-03); won 11 of 12 possible NCAA FL titles over her career; also won one NCAA relay title

• 2004 Sports Illustrated on Campus’ Female Athlete of the Year

High School:

• 1998 Swimming World National High School Swimmer of the Year … top female point-getter on 1998 and 1999 Scholastic All-American teams

Personal:

• http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1515384&id=36624682070 Photos of Natalie Coughlin
  • http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1515380&id=36624682070
• High School: Carondelet High School '00
• College: Cal-Berkeley '05, College Major: Psychology

Ambitions, Aspirations, Goals, Dreams

• Broadcasting ... was an Olympic analyst for MSNBC during the 2006 Winter Olympic Games

Family, Village, Community

Parents: James and Zennie … father is a police officer, and mother is a Kaiser paralegal

Sibling(s): Younger sister (Megan) attended UC Davis and was a swimmer

Started Swimming: Age 6

Sports Played Before Swimming: Gymnastics, volleyball

Nickname(s): Nat

Pet(s): Two dogs (Shera and Jake) … Shera is a Border Terrier, and Jake is a Boxer

Hobbies Outside the Pool: Cooking; appeared with Al Roker on The NBC Today Show to cook up a pork and persimmon risotto dish (Dec. 2002) … also loves surfing and photography

Ultimate Way to Relax: Enjoying good food and wine

Charities: Women's Sports Foundation and Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids “Kick Butts Day”

Sponsor(s): Speedo, American Eggboard, Sprint PCS

Author

• Wrote a book with Sports Illustrated’s Michael Silver entitled, Golden Girl: How Natalie Coughlin Fought Back, Challenged Conventional Wisdom, and Became America's Olympic Champion; it was released in April 2006.

After Swimming must be after 2016 in Rio

Guest with TV Shows, Dancing With The Stars

Was on the show in the fall of 2009.

Natalie Couglin, dancer.

Media

• Featured on the cover ESPN Magazine Body issue

Coaching Tips

• http://www.universalsports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=23000&ATCLID=3740700 Tips on swimming in video from Natalie Coughlin

Training

More: Attributes some of her recent success to her dry land training program, which includes pilates and dance classes. Recently had her photographs featured in SPLASH Magazine ...

• favorite place to be when she isn’t training or competing is in Kauai, Hawaii.
• first job was working at the Snack Shack at her local pool.
• When she was little, wanted to be Whitney Houston.
• Greatest obstacle she's overcome is a shoulder injury and "burnout"

Favorites: U.S. city: San Francisco ... int'l destination: Sydney ... band: Counting Crows ...

summer activity: surfing ... movie: Dogma ... tv: Lost, Nip/Tuck, Heroes

Links

Media

• http://www.standard.net/stories/2011/11/13/natalie-coughlin-primed-third-olympic-trip Hopes for 2012 Olympics from November 2011.
• http://swimming.teamusa.org/news/2011/04/13/coughlin-a-refreshing-perspective/41843?ngb_id=3 Feature in April 2011