Annette Salmeen facts for kids
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| Born | December 7, 1974 Ann Arbor, Michigan |
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| Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Sport | Swimming | |||||||||||||||||||
| Strokes | Butterfly, freestyle | |||||||||||||||||||
| College team | University of California, Los Angeles | |||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Annette Elizabeth Salmeen (born December 7, 1974) is an American scientist who studies living things at a tiny level (a biochemist). She is also a former Olympic swimmer. In 1996, she won a gold medal at the Summer Olympics. She also earned a special scholarship called a Rhodes Scholarship in 1997.
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Annette's Swimming Journey
Annette Salmeen was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She started swimming competitively when she was just 9 years old. She became a top swimmer at Huron High School in Ann Arbor. There, she was a team captain for two years.
High School and College Success
While in high school, Annette won three state championships in the 500-yard freestyle race. She also won one state title in the 100-yard butterfly. After high school, Annette swam for the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). At UCLA, she was a co-captain and was named an All-American four times. She also became a national champion in the 200-yard butterfly.
International Competitions
In 1995, Annette won a bronze medal. This was in the 200-meter butterfly at the World University Games in Fukuoka, Japan. The next year, she made the U.S. Olympic Team. She went to the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia.
Olympic Gold Medal
At the 1996 Olympics, Annette earned a gold medal. She swam for the winning U.S. team in the early races (preliminary heats) of the 4×200-meter freestyle relay. Her team then went on to win the final race. In her individual event, the 200-meter butterfly, she finished 12th overall.
Studying at Oxford University
Annette graduated from UCLA in 1997. She earned a science degree in chemistry. She was then given a special award called a Rhodes Scholarship. This scholarship allowed her to study at Oxford University in England.
Earning a Doctorate
At Oxford, Annette worked towards a Doctorate of Philosophy (D. Phil.) in biochemistry. A D. Phil. is a very high-level university degree, like a PhD. During her four years at St John's College, Oxford, she also kept swimming. She was part of the Oxford University Swimming Club. She even set several new swimming records there.
Life After Oxford
Annette finished her doctorate degree in 2001. She then came back to the U.S. to continue her research. She became a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University. This means she did more advanced research after getting her doctorate.
Working at Stanford
In 2005, Annette joined the board of the United States Anti-Doping Agency. This agency works to keep sports fair by making sure athletes don't use banned substances. Annette later returned to Stanford University. As of 2022, she teaches there, sharing her knowledge with new students.
See also
In Spanish: Annette Salmeen para niños
- List of Olympic medalists in swimming (women)
- List of University of California, Los Angeles people
