Anthony Ervin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Anthony Ervin

Ervin in 2016
Personal information
Nickname(s)	Tony
Born	(1981-05-26) May 26, 1981 (age 44) Santa Clarita, California, U.S.
Height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight	176 lb (80 kg)
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Strokes	Freestyle
College team	University of California, Berkeley
Coach	Nort Thornton, Dave Durden (U. Cal. Berkeley)
Medal record Men's swimming Representing  United States Olympic Games Gold 2000 Sydney 50 m freestyle Gold 2016 Rio de Janeiro 50 m freestyle Gold 2016 Rio de Janeiro 4×100 m freestyle Silver 2000 Sydney 4×100 m freestyle World Championships (LC) Gold 2001 Fukuoka 50 m freestyle Gold 2001 Fukuoka 100 m freestyle Silver 2013 Barcelona 4×100 m freestyle World Championships (SC) Gold 2012 Istanbul 4×100 m freestyle Gold 2012 Istanbul 4×100 m medley Bronze 2012 Istanbul 50 m freestyle Pan Pacific Championships Silver 2002 Yokohama 50 m freestyle Silver 2002 Yokohama 4×100 m freestyle Silver 2014 Gold Coast 50 m freestyle Silver 2014 Gold Coast 4×100 m freestyle Maccabiah Games Gold 2017 Israel 50 m freestyle Gold 2017 Israel 100 m freestyle Gold 2017 Israel 4×100 m medley Silver 2017 Israel 4×100 m freestyle

Anthony Lee Ervin (born May 26, 1981) is an American swimmer who has won four Olympic medals. He also has two gold medals from the World Championships. At the 2000 Summer Olympics, he won a gold medal in the men's 50-meter freestyle race. He also earned a silver medal with the United States team in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay.

Anthony Ervin was the second swimmer of African descent to win an individual gold medal in Olympic swimming. He was also the first United States citizen of African descent to win an individual Olympic swimming gold medal.

Ervin stopped swimming competitively in 2003 when he was 22 years old. He even sold his 2000 Olympic gold medal on eBay to help people affected by the 2004 tsunami. However, he started training again in 2011.

He competed in the 50-meter freestyle event at the 2012 Summer Olympics where he finished fifth. In 2016, a book about his life called Chasing Water was released. At the 2016 Summer Olympics, 16 years after his first Olympic gold, he won the 50-meter freestyle again. At 35 years old, he became the oldest individual Olympic gold medal winner in swimming history.

About Anthony Ervin

Anthony Ervin was born in Hollywood, California. His family background includes African-American and Jewish heritage. He grew up in Valencia, Santa Clarita, California. Ervin has said he is a "Zen Buddhist" and has practiced Zen meditation. In 2017, he shared that he was proud to be American and Jewish.

Early Life and Education

When he was young, Ervin swam for the Canyons Aquatic Club. He also competed on the swim team at Hart High School. Anthony later attended the University of California, Berkeley. He swam for the university team under Coach Nort Thornton Jr. He earned his bachelor's degree in English in 2010. He also received coaching from Berkeley Head Coach Dave Durden.

He has also studied for a graduate degree in sport, culture, and education at Berkeley.

Living with Tourette Syndrome

As a child, Ervin had tics, which are sudden, repeated movements or sounds. He described them as "an itch that constantly [wanted] to be scratched." He believes that swimming helped him manage his tics when he was young. He also feels that having Tourette syndrome helped him learn to handle stress early on. This skill was very helpful when he competed in the Olympic finals. From 2017 to 2018, Ervin was a youth ambassador for the Tourette Association of America.

Swimming Career Highlights

2000: Sydney Summer Olympic Games

At the 2000 United States Olympic Trials, Ervin competed in the 50-meter and 100-meter freestyle races. He finished fifth in the 100-meter freestyle, which earned him a spot on the 4×100-meter freestyle relay team. In the 50-meter freestyle final, he placed second.

At the 2000 Summer Olympics, Ervin won one gold and one silver medal. In the 4×100-meter freestyle relay, he swam with Gary Hall Jr., Neil Walker, and Jason Lezak. The American team finished second to Australia, who set a new world record. In the 50-meter freestyle final, Ervin tied with Gary Hall Jr. for the gold medal.

2001–2003: World Championships and Pan Pacs

Ervin won two gold medals at the 2001 World Aquatics Championships. These were in the 50-meter freestyle and the 100-meter freestyle. He also competed in the 4 x 100 freestyle relay, but his team was disqualified. At the 2002 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, Ervin won silver medals. He earned them in both the 50-meter freestyle and the 4 x 100 freestyle relay.

Taking a Break from Swimming

In 2003, Anthony Ervin decided to stop competitive swimming. He was 22 years old at the time. During the years he was away from the sport, he explored different interests. He learned to play guitar and studied Buddhism. He also stopped telling people he was an Olympic swimming champion. He started training again in 2011.

2012: Comeback and Summer Olympics

Twelve years after his first Olympics, Ervin qualified for his second United States Olympic team. He was 31 years old at the 2012 United States Olympic Trials. He finished second in the men's 50-meter freestyle. His time was 21.60 seconds, which was his personal best.

At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, he finished fifth in the 50-meter freestyle final. Ervin, along with Cullen Jones and Lia Neal, made history. They were the first African-Americans on a U.S. Olympic swim team with more than one African-American swimmer.

2013–14: World Championships and Pan Pacs

Ervin at the 2015 World Championships

At the 2013 US National Championships, Ervin qualified for the 2013 World Aquatics Championships. He placed second in the 50-meter freestyle and third in the 100-meter freestyle.

At the World Championships, Ervin helped his team win a silver medal. He swam with Nathan Adrian, Ryan Lochte, and Jimmy Feigen in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay. Ervin's part of the race was the fastest among the American swimmers. In his individual 50-meter freestyle event, he finished in sixth place.

In 2014, Ervin won two silver medals at the Pan Pacific Championships.

2016 Summer Olympics

At the 2016 Summer Olympics, Ervin won the 50 m freestyle final. His time was 21.40 seconds. At 35 years old, he became the oldest individual Olympic gold medalist in swimming. He took this record from Michael Phelps. He also won a gold medal in the 4 × 100 m freestyle relay. He swam in the morning heat for the United States team.

2017 Maccabiah Games

Ervin participated in the torch lighting ceremony at the 2017 Maccabiah Games in July 2017. He won gold medals in the 50-meter freestyle and the 100-meter freestyle. He also won gold in the 4 × 100 m medley relay with his American teammates.

He also took part in a special 4x50m relay race. His team, which included Olympic champions Lenny Krayzelburg and Jason Lezak, won against a team of Israeli Olympians.

2021 Competitions

2020 US Olympic Trials

At the 2020 USA Swimming Olympic Trials in June 2021, Ervin competed in the 50-meter freestyle. He did not qualify for the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Swim Clinic at World Championships

In December 2021, Ervin led a swim clinic for young swimmers. This was during the 2021 World Short Course Championships in Abu Dhabi. He worked with Florian Wellbrock from Germany.

Awards and Recognition

In 2003, Anthony Ervin was honored by being added to the Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.

Autobiography

Ervin's book, Chasing Water, was released in 2016. He wrote it with Constantine Markides. The book received an award from the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 2018.

See also

In Spanish: Anthony Ervin para niños

• List of Jewish swimmers
• List of Olympic medalists in swimming (men)
• List of University of California, Berkeley alumni
• List of World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming (men)
• World record progression 50 metres freestyle