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American freestylers

189 articles

Richard Klatt

Richard Klatt is an American former swimmer who won gold and set a world record in the 4 × 200-meter freestyle relay at the 1973 World Championships.

Rick Demont

Rick DeMont (Richard James DeMont), American swimmer born 1956, won the 1972 Olympic 400 m freestyle at 16 but was disqualified for ephedrine in his asthma medication; first under 4 minutes for 400 m free (3:58.18, 1973 Worlds gold), later Arizona coach and artist.

Ricky Berens

Ricky Berens is an American former competition swimmer from Charlotte, North Carolina, who won Olympic gold in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay at the 2008 and 2012 Games.

Ritz Correia

Ritz Correia (Maritza Correia-McClendon), born 1981 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, is an American swimmer, first African-American woman on a US Olympic swim team, 2004 Athens 4x100m freestyle relay silver medalist and Georgia Bulldogs record holder.

Robin Leamy

Robin Leamy (Robin John Leamy), born 1961 in Apia, Samoa, is an American former swimmer, 1984 Olympic gold medalist in the 4x100 m freestyle relay, 1981 50 m freestyle world record holder (22.54), UCLA NCAA champion, and later a corporate real estate executive.

Rowdy Gaines

Rowdy Gaines (Ambrose "Rowdy" Gaines IV, born 1959) is an American swimmer who won three gold medals at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and later became NBC's swimming analyst.

Roy Saari

Roy Allen Saari (1945-2008), American distance swimmer and water polo player; first under 17 minutes in the 1,500 m freestyle (16:58.7), 1964 Olympic gold and silver medalist, nine-time NCAA champion at USC.

Russell Duncan

Russell P. Duncan (1917-2009), American lawyer and Yale swimmer; captain of the 1940 Yale team and member of the world record 4x100 yd freestyle relay (3:30.7, Feb 3, 1940); Yale Law 1946, Navy WWII subchaser commander.

Ryan Berube

Ryan Thomas Berube (born 1973, Tequesta, Florida) is an American swimmer, 1996 Atlanta Olympic gold medalist in the men's 4x200 m freestyle relay, a 26-time SMU All-American, and later a UBS wealth manager.

Ryan Held

Ryan Held, American swimmer from Springfield, Illinois, NC State alum, Olympic gold medalist in the men's 4x100 m freestyle relay at Rio 2016 and Paris 2024, with 17 World Aquatics and Olympic medals.

Sandy Neilson

Sandy Neilson (Sandra Lynn Neilson, later Neilson-Bell), American swimmer born 1956, won three 1972 Munich Olympic golds including the 100m freestyle at 16, later set Masters world records and coaches in Austin, Texas.

Scott Goldblatt

Scott Goldblatt (Scott Daniel Goldblatt, born 1979) is an American freestyle swimmer, 2000 and 2004 Olympian, who won 4x200 m freestyle relay gold at Athens 2004 and silver at Sydney 2000.

Scott Tucker

Scott Eric Tucker (born 1976, Birmingham, Alabama) is an American swimmer, Olympic gold (1996) and silver (2000) medalist in the 4x100 m freestyle relay, with 14 major international medals, almost all in relays.

Shannon Vreeland

Shannon Vreeland (born 1991, St. Louis, Missouri) is an American freestyle swimmer from Overland Park, Kansas, who won Olympic gold in the 4x200 m freestyle relay at London 2012 in an Olympic record 7:42.92.

Shaun Jordan

Shaun M. Jordan (born 1968, Jacksonville, Florida) is an American swimmer who won Olympic gold in the 4x100 m freestyle relay at Seoul 1988 and Barcelona 1992, starred for the University of Texas, and later worked at Abraham Trading.

Shirley Babashoff

Shirley Babashoff (born 1957), American freestyle swimmer; eight Olympic medals (2 gold, 6 silver) at Munich 1972 and Montreal 1976; 11 world records; accused East German dopers, later vindicated by Stasi files.

Sippy Woodhead

Sippy Woodhead (Cynthia Lee Woodhead, later Kantzer, Brennan), American freestyle swimmer born 1964; 1978 world champion at 14, three 200m freestyle world records, 1980 boycott victim, 1984 Olympic silver medalist.

Stephanie Elkins

Stephanie Elkins, born in 1963, is a retired American freestyle swimmer who won gold in the world-record 4×100-meter relay at the 1978 World Championships and qualified for the boycotted 1980 Olympics.

Stephen Krause

Stephen (Steve) Krause, American swimmer, set the 1500 m freestyle world record of 16:58.60 at Maumee, Ohio, on August 15, 1965, aged 15, for Cascade Swim Club; later a Harvard swimmer and Wyman Trophy winner.

Steve Crocker

Steve Crocker (Stephen W. Crocker), American sprint freestyle swimmer, Rockwood Swim Club and Western Kentucky University; set the short course 50 m freestyle world record of 21.64 in Dallas, 1992; two-time national champion, three-time Olympic Trials qualifier.

Steve Genter

Steve Genter is an American former swimmer who won a gold and two silver medals at the 1972 Munich Olympics days after treatment for a collapsed lung.

Steve Rerych

Steve Rerych (Stephen Karl Rerych, born 1946) is a retired American surgeon and NC State swimmer who won gold in the 4x100 and 4x200 freestyle relays at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics and set a 4x100 world record.

Steven Clark

Steve Clark (Stephen Edward Clark, 1943-2026), American freestyle sprint swimmer; three relay golds at Tokyo 1964, nine world records, first under 46 seconds for 100 yards; ISHOF 1966; later Harvard Law lawyer.

Susan Pedersen

Susan Jane "Sue" Pedersen (Pankey), American swimmer born 1953 in Sacramento; 1968 Olympic double relay gold medalist and 200 m freestyle world record holder who retired at 15.

Takashi Hirose

Takashi "Halo" Hirose (1922-2002), Maui-born American swimmer of the Three-Year Swim Club; first AJA to represent the US internationally, 1938 world-record relay, 442nd Regimental Combat Team veteran, NCAA champion, 2017 International Swimming Hall of Fame inductee.

Terri Stickles

Terri Lee Stickles (later Stickles Mejia Strunck), American swimmer born 1946 in San Mateo, California; 1964 Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist in the 400 m freestyle (4:47.2) and 1963 Pan Am 100 m freestyle champion.

Thelma Kalama

Thelma Kalama (Thelma Hildegard Kalama-Aiu, "Keko"), 1931–1999, Honolulu swimmer; first Native Hawaiian woman Olympian; won 1948 gold in the 4×100 m freestyle relay as second leg.

Tiffany Cohen

Tiffany Cohen (Tiffany Lisa Cohen, later Cohen Adams/Lalonde), American swimmer born 1966, Culver City, California; 1984 Olympic gold medalist in the 400 m and 800 m freestyle, 14-time US national champion, ISHOF inductee 1996.

Tim Shaw

Tim Shaw (Timothy Andrew Shaw, born 1957), American swimmer and water polo player from Long Beach. Held 200/400/800/1500 m freestyle world records simultaneously in 1974-75, won 1975 Sullivan Award, took 400 m freestyle silver at Montreal 1976 and water polo silver at Los Angeles 1984.

Tom Jager

Tom Jager (Thomas Michael Jager, born 1964), American sprint freestyle swimmer; five Olympic relay golds among seven medals, six 50 m freestyle world records, 21.81 best held a decade until Popov's 21.64 in 2000.