Cullen Jones facts for kids
Jones at St. Benedict's with Headmaster Fr. Edwin Leahy
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| Born | February 29, 1984 New York City, New York, U.S. |
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| Height | 6 ft 5 in | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 210 lb | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Swimming | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Strokes | Freestyle | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Wolfpack Elite | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College team | North Carolina State University | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Cullen Andrew Jones (born February 29, 1984) is an American swimmer who has won Olympic gold medals. He is known for his fast freestyle sprint races. Cullen was part of the American team that set a world record in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, he won two silver medals and one gold medal.
Contents
Early Life and Learning to Swim
Cullen Jones was born in New York City in 1984. When he was young, his family moved to Irvington, New Jersey. Cullen learned to swim after a scary experience at a water park. When he was five years old, he almost drowned at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom. After this, his parents made sure he learned how to swim.
He started swimming with a club team called Metro Express. Later, he joined the Jersey Gators Swim Club. Cullen went to Saint Benedict's Preparatory School in Newark. He set many swimming records there before he graduated in 2002.
Cullen's Swimming Career
Cullen Jones went to North Carolina State University. He studied English and swam for the NC State Wolfpack team from 2003 to 2006.
Becoming a Professional Swimmer
In the summer of 2006, Cullen became a professional swimmer. He signed a deal with Nike. Soon after, he became very famous at the 2006 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships. He set a new record in the 50-meter freestyle race. He also helped his team set a world record in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay. His teammates were Michael Phelps, Neil Walker, and Jason Lezak.
In 2007, Cullen won another gold medal. This was for the 4×100-meter freestyle relay at the 2007 World Aquatics Championships. He swam with the same teammates.
2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing
| 2008 Summer Olympics | ||
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| Gold | 4x100 m freestyle relay | 3:08.24 (WR) |
Cullen Jones made history as the first African-American swimmer to hold a world record. This was for the 4×100-meter freestyle relay. Before the 2008 Olympics, he broke the American record in the 50-meter freestyle.
At the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, Cullen won a gold medal. He was part of the 4×100-meter freestyle relay team. They set a new world record with a time of 3:08.24. His teammates were Michael Phelps, Jason Lezak, and Garrett Weber-Gale.
Setting More Records
In July 2009, Cullen set another American record. This was in the 50-meter freestyle race at the U.S. National Championships.
2012 Olympic Journey
Qualifying for the Olympics
At the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials, Cullen qualified for the Olympics for the second time. He finished first in the 50-meter freestyle. He also came in second in the 100-meter freestyle. This meant he could swim in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay. In the 50-meter freestyle final, he won by a tiny amount, just 0.01 seconds!
2012 Summer Olympics in London
| 2012 Summer Olympics | ||
|---|---|---|
| Gold | 4x100 m medley relay | 3:29.35 |
| Silver | 50 m freestyle | 21.54 |
| Silver | 4x100 m freestyle relay | 3:10.38 |
At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Cullen won two silver medals. One was for the 50-meter freestyle and the other for the 4×100-meter freestyle relay. He also earned a gold medal in the 4×100-meter medley relay. He swam in the early races for this event.
The 2012 U.S. Olympic swim team was special. It was the first U.S. Olympic swim team to have more than one black swimmer. Cullen Jones, Anthony Ervin, and Lia Neal were all part of this historic team.
Fastest Times (Long Course)
Cullen Jones has achieved impressive times in his swimming career. Here are his personal bests in long course events:
| Event | Time | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 50 m freestyle | 21.40 | July 2009 |
| 100 m freestyle | 48.31 | July 2008 |
Key: NR = National record (meaning the fastest time in the country)
See also
In Spanish: Cullen Jones para niños
- Diversity in swimming
- List of Olympic medalists in swimming (men)
- List of United States records in swimming
- List of World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming (men)
- List of world records in swimming
- World record progression 4 × 100 metres freestyle relay
