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 many world records.
John was born in Evanston, Illinois. He lived and studied in England and Italy because of his dad's job. He went to Woodside High School in Northern California. Later, he studied psychology at the University of Southern California (USC). While at USC, he helped his college swim team, the Trojans, win four national championships in a row from 1974 to 1977.
John Naber's Olympic Success
When he was 20 years old, John Naber won four gold medals at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Quebec. He won each of these races in world-record time. He won both backstroke events. He was also part of two winning relay teams. A relay team is when several swimmers work together.
He also won a silver medal in the 200-meter freestyle race. American swimmers won all three medals in that event.
One of Naber's gold medals was for the 200-meter backstroke. He was the first person to finish this race in under two minutes. His world record time of 1:59.19 lasted for seven years. His world record of 55.49 seconds in the 100-meter backstroke also stood for seven years.
Because of his amazing achievements in Montreal, 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 honor recognizes him as a top swimmer.
Life After Swimming
After his swimming career, John Naber joined The Walt Disney Company in 1977. He worked there as a marketing representative. Later, he became a full-time "roving ambassador" for Speedo, a company that makes swimwear.
He also worked as a sports broadcaster, telling people about sports events. He became a motivational speaker, inspiring others with his story. He also worked as a professional writer. John Naber was a member of the committee that organized the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
In May 2014, John Naber was honored by his old school. He was inducted into Woodside High School's Community Hall of Fame.
See also
In Spanish: John Naber para niños
- List of multiple Olympic gold medalists
- List of multiple Olympic gold medalists at a single Games
- List of Olympic medalists in swimming (men)
- List of University of Southern California people
- List of World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming (men)
- World record progression 100 metres backstroke
- World record progression 200 metres backstroke
- World record progression 4 × 100 metres medley relay
- World record progression 4 × 200 metres freestyle relay
