John Naber facts for kids
Naber in 2016
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | January 20, 1956 Evanston, Illinois, U.S. |
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| Height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 194 lb (88 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Swimming | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Strokes | Backstroke, freestyle | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Ladera Oaks Swim Club | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College team | USC | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coach | Peter Daland (USC) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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John Phillips Naber, born on January 20, 1956, is a famous American swimmer. He won five Olympic medals and set world records in several swimming events.
John was born in Evanston, Illinois. He lived in England and Italy for a while because his dad worked there. He went to Woodside High School in Northern California. Later, he earned a degree in psychology from the University of Southern California (USC) in 1977. While at USC, he helped the Trojans swimming team win four national championships in a row from 1974 to 1977.
John Naber's Olympic Success
When John Naber was 20 years old, he competed in the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Quebec. He had an amazing performance, winning four gold medals!
Each of his gold medal wins set a new world record. He was the best in both backstroke races. He also helped two relay teams win gold medals. A relay race is when a team of swimmers each swim a part of the race.
John also earned a silver medal in the 200-meter freestyle race. American swimmers won all three medals in that event!
Setting World Records
One of John's gold medals was for the 200-meter backstroke. He was the first person ever to swim this race in under two minutes! His record time of 1 minute, 59.19 seconds lasted for seven years.
His world record of 55.49 seconds in the 100-meter backstroke also stood for seven years.
For his incredible achievements at the Olympics and other events, John Naber received the 1977 James E. Sullivan Award. This award goes to the best amateur athlete in America each year. In 1982, he was added to the International Swimming Hall of Fame. This means he is recognized as one of the greatest swimmers of all time.
Life After Swimming
After his swimming career, John Naber worked for The Walt Disney Company in marketing. He then became an ambassador for Speedo, a company that makes swimwear.
Later, he worked as a sports broadcaster, telling people about sports on TV or radio. He also became a motivational speaker, inspiring others with his story. He was also a professional writer. John was even part of the committee that organized the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
In May 2014, John Naber was honored by his old school, Woodside High School. He was inducted into their Community Hall of Fame.
See also
- List of multiple Olympic gold medalists
- List of Olympic medalists in swimming (men)
- List of University of Southern California people
