Athletes

Natalie Coughlin won two gold medals, one silver and one bronze in the 2004 Olympic Games. In the 2007 FINA World Championships Coughlin won several medals, including a gold in the 100m backstroke, a gold medal and world record in the 4x200 freestyle relay, silvers in the 4x100 medley relay and 4x100 freestyle relay and a bronze medal in the 100m butterfly. Coughlin also set an American record in the 200m freestyle for her leg in the 4x200 freestyle relay. In 2006, Coughlin won six medals at the Pan Pacific Championships in Canada, illustrating that she still has retained her form from the 2004 Olympic Games. In 2003 Coughlin was the Women's Sports Foundation Individual Sportswoman of the Year. She is the world record holder in the 100m backstroke and the first woman to accomplish the 100m backstroke in under one minute. In the 2003 season Coughlin also won the 100y and 200y backstrokes as well as the 100y fly for the third straight year at the NCAA championships. She also set an American and U.S. Open record on the 100y freestyle. Coughlin was named NCAA Swimmer of the Year for the third straight year (2001, 2002, 2003) after winning the 100y and 200y backstroke, as well as the 100y butterfly, all in American and U.S. Open record time. Coughlin was named one of the top finalists for the 73rd Annual AAU James E. Sullivan Memorial Award, which recognizes the top amateur athlete in the nation. She was honored for her performances at both the U.S. nationals and the Pan Pacific Championships by being named Athlete of the Month by the United States Olympic Committee in August of 2002. Also in 2002, Coughlin broke the American record in the 100m freestyle and took home the gold at the Pan Pacific Championship, as well as in both the 100m backstroke and 100m butterfly. She became the first person since Tracy Caulkins (in 1978) to win five U.S. national titles at one meet. It was also there that she won the 100m and 200m freestyle, 100m and 200m backstroke and the 100m butterfly at the Phillips 66 Summer Nationals in 2002. That same year, Coughlin won the Honda Award as the nation's top collegiate female swimmer. She was named to the USA Swimming's women's 2002 All-America team in the 100m freestyle, 200m freestyle, 100m backstroke, 200m backstroke and the 100m butterfly, placing first in each. In 2001, Coughlin set two world records and an American/U.S. Open record at the World Cup 3 in New York. As NCAA Swimmer of the Year, Coughlin won the 100y and 200y backstroke in American record times and 100y butterfly in NCAA record time at the NCAA championship. Coughlin was also a nominee for the Women's Sports Foundation Sportswoman of the Year in 2002. Coughlin, a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, released a book in 2006 entitled "Golden Girl: How Natalie Coughlin Fought Back, Challenged Conventional Wisdom, and Became America's Olympic Champion." (04/07)