Anthony Nesty facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Anthony Nesty

Nesty in 2025
Personal information
Born	(1967-11-25) November 25, 1967 (age 57) Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
Height	5 ft 11 in
Weight	172 lb
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Strokes	Butterfly
College team	University of Florida (U.S.) B.A. 1994
Medal record Men's swimming Representing  Suriname Olympic Games Gold 1988 Seoul 100 m butterfly Bronze 1992 Barcelona 100 m butterfly World Championships (LC) Gold 1991 Perth 100 m butterfly Pan Pacific Championships Gold 1989 Tokyo 100 m butterfly Pan American Games Gold 1987 Indianapolis 100 m butterfly Gold 1991 Havana 100 m butterfly Silver 1991 Havana 200 m butterfly Bronze 1987 Indianapolis 200 m butterfly Goodwill Games Gold 1990 Seattle 100 m butterfly

Anthony Conrad Nesty (born November 25, 1967) is a famous swimmer from Suriname. He became a national hero when he won an Olympic gold medal in the 100-meter butterfly race in 1988.

Today, Nesty is the head coach for the men's and women's swim teams at the University of Florida, where he also went to college. He was also the head coach for the U.S. Men's Swimming team at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

The Anthony Nesty Sports Hall in Paramaribo, Suriname, was named in his honor.

Suriname created this special medal in 2008 to celebrate Nesty's Olympic win.

From Suriname to the World Stage

Anthony Nesty was born in Trinidad and Tobago in 1967. His family moved to Suriname when he was just seven months old. He started swimming when he was five and quickly became a talented young athlete.

When he was 16, he competed in the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. After that, he moved to Jacksonville, Florida, to study at The Bolles School. This school is famous for training world-class swimmers. While training there, Nesty broke a school record in the 100-yard butterfly, showing everyone how talented he was.

Olympic Glory and World Records

Nesty's hard work paid off. At the 1987 Pan American Games, he won a gold medal in the 100-meter butterfly and a bronze in the 200-meter butterfly.

The 1988 Seoul Olympics

The biggest moment of his career came at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. In an incredibly close race, Nesty won the gold medal in the 100-meter butterfly. He beat the American favorite, Matt Biondi, by only one-hundredth of a second!

Nesty's victory was historic. He became the first and only athlete from Suriname to ever win an Olympic medal. He was also one of the first Black swimmers to win an individual Olympic medal. His win was a huge moment of pride for Suriname and the entire Caribbean.

A National Hero

After his Olympic win, Nesty became a hero in Suriname. The government honored him in many ways:

• They put his picture on stamps, coins, and even a bank note.
• An indoor sports arena in the capital city, Paramaribo, was renamed the Anthony Nesty Sporthal.
• Surinam Airways even named one of its airplanes after him.

For three years after his Olympic victory, Nesty was undefeated in the 100-meter butterfly. He won gold medals at the Goodwill Games in 1990 and the FINA World Aquatics Championships in 1991. At the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, he won a bronze medal in the same event.

In 1998, Nesty was welcomed into the International Swimming Hall of Fame, a special honor for the world's greatest swimmers.

College Swimming Career

After his Olympic success, Nesty attended the University of Florida on a scholarship. He swam for the Florida Gators team from 1989 to 1992.

During his time in college, he was a star swimmer. He won three national championships in a row in the 100-yard butterfly. He also won championships in the 200-yard butterfly and as part of a relay team. In total, he earned sixteen All-American honors, which are given to the best college athletes in the country.

A New Chapter as a Coach

After retiring from swimming, Nesty became a coach. He wanted to help young swimmers achieve their dreams, just as he had. He started coaching at The Bolles School, where he had trained as a teenager.

In 1998, he returned to the University of Florida as an assistant coach for the men's swim team. He worked his way up and eventually became the head coach for both the men's and women's teams in 2021.

As a coach, Nesty has trained some of the best swimmers in the world, including Olympic champions like Katie Ledecky, Caeleb Dressel, and Bobby Finke.

His success as a coach led to him being chosen for the U.S. Olympic team. He was an assistant coach for the men's team in 2021 and was named the head coach for the U.S. men's team at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

See also

In Spanish: Anthony Nesty para niños

• Florida Gators
• List of Olympic medalists in swimming (men)
• List of University of Florida alumni
• List of University of Florida Olympians
• List of University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame members
• List of World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming (men)