Anthony Nesty facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Anthony Nesty

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 Nesty Sporthal, Paramaribo

Commemorative medal of 20 SR$, 2008

Anthony Conrad Nesty (born November 25, 1967) is a famous former competition swimmer from Suriname. He won an Olympic gold medal in the 100-meter butterfly event in 1988. Today, he is the head coach for the Florida Gators men's and women's swim team at the University of Florida, where he also went to college.

In September 2023, Anthony Nesty was chosen to be the Head Coach for the U.S. Men's Swimming team at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. This is a very important role in the world of swimming!

Anthony Nesty's Early Life

Anthony Nesty was born in Port of Spain in 1967. He was the youngest of five children. When he was just seven months old, his family moved to Suriname. He started swimming at age 5.

Nesty trained and competed in Suriname and the Caribbean. He even represented Suriname with his sister, Pauline, at the 1983 Pan American Games. At only 16, he competed in the 100-meter butterfly at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

After that, Nesty moved to Jacksonville, Florida, to attend The Bolles School. This school is known for training amazing swimmers. There, he trained with coach Gregg Troy. Nesty broke the school record for the 100-yard butterfly, a record once held by famous swimmer Pablo Morales. This was the start of many big wins for Nesty. He finished high school in 1987.

Anthony Nesty's Olympic and World Swimming Career

Nesty returned to international competitions at the 1987 Pan American Games in Indianapolis. He won a gold medal in the 100-meter butterfly. He also earned a bronze medal in the 200-meter butterfly.

Winning Olympic Gold in 1988

At the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, Korea, Nesty made history. He won the 100-meter butterfly by just one-hundredth of a second! He beat American favorite Matt Biondi. Nesty finished in 53.00 seconds, and Biondi finished in 53.01 seconds.

Nesty is the only Olympic medal winner from Suriname. After his gold medal win, he was unbeatable in the 100-meter butterfly for three years. He was also the first black male athlete to win an individual Olympic medal in swimming. He was only the second black athlete overall to win an individual swimming medal, after Enith Brigitha in 1976.

A Hero in Suriname

Nesty's victory in Seoul was a huge moment for people in the Caribbean. The government of Suriname honored his gold medal win in many ways:

• They put his picture on a special stamp.
• They made gold and silver coins with his image.
• A 25-guilders bank note showed a butterfly swimmer in his honor.
• Surinam Airways named one of its planes after him.
• The indoor stadium in Paramaribo was renamed the Anthony Nesty Sporthal.

More International Success

Nesty continued to win gold medals. He won the 100-meter butterfly at the Goodwill Games in 1990. He also won at the FINA World Aquatics Championships in 1991.

At the 1991 Pan American Games in Havana, Cuba, he again won gold in the 100-meter butterfly. He also took home a silver medal in the 200-meter butterfly.

At the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, he tried to win his 1988 Olympic gold medal again. He finished with a bronze medal in the 100-meter butterfly.

In 2008, Nesty was invited to be Suriname's flag bearer at the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. This was a special honor, even though he had retired from competing.

Nesty was recognized for his amazing career. He was added to the International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) in 1998. He was also inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame in 2002.

Anthony Nesty's College Swimming Career

After his Olympic win in Seoul, Nesty received a scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. He had a very successful college swimming career with the Florida Gators swimming and diving team from 1989 to 1992. He swam under coaches Randy Reese and Skip Foster.

During his four years of college competition, he won many championships:

• Three straight NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) titles in the 100-yard butterfly (1990, 1991, 1992).
• One NCAA title in the 200-yard butterfly (1990).
• One NCAA title as part of the team's 400-yard medley relay (1991).
• He earned sixteen All-American honors, which means he was recognized as one of the best college swimmers in the country.
• Nesty also won eleven Southeastern Conference (SEC) titles. Five were in individual races, and six were as part of Gators relay teams.

Nesty earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Florida in 1994.

Anthony Nesty's Coaching Career

In the mid-1990s, Nesty returned to The Bolles School, where he had trained as a teenager. He joined their swim coaching staff. He also worked as the head coach at Nease High School in Jacksonville.

In 1998, Nesty became the Assistant Men's Coach for the University of Florida. In 2006, he became the associate head coach for the Florida Gators men's swimming team. On April 13, 2021, the university announced that Nesty would also become the head coach for the Florida Gators women's swimming team. This means he now coaches both the men's and women's teams!

Many famous swimmers train under Nesty's guidance at the University of Florida. These include Olympic champions like Caeleb Dressel, Katie Ledecky, Bobby Finke, and Kieran Smith.

In June 2021, Nesty was named an Assistant Coach for the U.S. Men's Olympic Swim Team. In February 2022, he was chosen as the Head Coach for the U.S. Men's Swim Team for the 2022 FINA World Championships in Budapest.

As mentioned earlier, in September 2023, Nesty was named the Head Coach for the U.S. Men's team for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. This is a very important and respected position in the world of swimming.

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)