Lenny Krayzelburg facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Lenny Krayzelburg

Personal information
Native name	Ленні Крайзельбург
Birth name	Leonid Olehovych Krayzelburg
Born	(1975-09-28) September 28, 1975 (age 49) Odesa, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union (now Ukraine)
Height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight	192 lb (87 kg)
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Strokes	Backstroke
Club	Irvine Novaquatics
College team	University of Southern California
Coach	Mark Schubert
Medal record Men's swimming Representing the  United States Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 4 0 0 World Championships (LC) 2 1 0 World Championships (SC) 1 1 0 Pan Pacific Championships 6 0 0 Maccabiah Games 2 0 0 Goodwill Games 1 2 0 Olympic Games Gold 2000 Sydney 100 m backstroke Gold 2000 Sydney 200 m backstroke Gold 2000 Sydney 4×100 m medley Gold 2004 Athens 4×100 m medley World Championships (LC) Gold 1998 Perth 100 m backstroke Gold 1998 Perth 200 m backstroke Silver 1998 Perth 4×100 m medley World Championships (SC) Gold 2000 Athens 4×100 m medley Silver 2000 Athens 50 m backstroke Pan Pacific Championships Gold 1997 Fukuoka 100 m backstroke Gold 1997 Fukuoka 200 m backstroke Gold 1997 Fukuoka 4×100 m medley Gold 1999 Sydney 100 m backstroke Gold 1999 Sydney 200 m backstroke Gold 1999 Sydney 4×100 m medley Maccabiah Games Gold 2001 Israel 100 m backstroke Gold 2001 Israel 4×100 m medley Goodwill Games Gold 1998 New York 200 m backstroke Silver 1998 New York 100 m backstroke Silver 1998 New York 4×100 m medley

Lenny Krayzelburg (born Leonid Olehovych Krayzelburg on September 28, 1975) is a famous American former backstroke swimmer. He is known for winning many Olympic gold medals and setting world records. Lenny competed in the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games. He earned a total of four Olympic gold medals during his career.

Early Life and Challenges

Lenny Krayzelburg was born in Odesa, which was part of the Soviet Union (now Ukraine). His family is Jewish. In 1989, when Lenny was 13, his family moved from the Soviet Union to the United States. They made their new home in Los Angeles.

Life was not easy for the Krayzelburg family at first. They faced money problems. Lenny had to travel a long way to swimming practice every day. He would take a bus and walk for 45 minutes each way. He often did not get home until late in the evening. Lenny also had to learn English quickly to understand his coaches. Luckily, a large Russian community in Los Angeles helped him adjust.

College and World Records

Lenny first went to Fairfax High School. Then, he attended Santa Monica College. There, he won junior college titles in both the 100 and 200-yard backstroke races. His coach at Santa Monica College saw his great talent. The coach suggested he train with Mark Schubert at the University of Southern California (USC). Lenny then transferred to USC.

In 1995, Lenny became a citizen of the United States. Three years later, in 1998, he made history. He became the first swimmer since 1986 to win both the 100-meter and 200-meter backstroke events at the World Championships.

In 1999, Lenny Krayzelburg broke world records in three backstroke events. He set new times for the 50-meter, 100-meter, and 200-meter races. His times were 24.99 seconds, 53.60 seconds, and 1 minute 55.87 seconds. These achievements made him known as the best backstroke swimmer in the world. Many people also considered him one of the greatest backstroke swimmers ever.

Olympic Success

Lenny continued his amazing performance at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. He broke the Olympic record in the 100-meter backstroke with a time of 53.72 seconds. He also set another Olympic record in the 200-meter backstroke, finishing in 1 minute 56.76 seconds.

Lenny was also a key part of the American team that won a gold medal in the 4 × 100-meter medley relay. They set a new world record with a time of 3 minutes 33.73 seconds. His strong swimming helped the team achieve this victory.

Maccabiah Games Participation

After his success at the Olympics, Lenny Krayzelburg chose to skip the 2001 World Championships. Instead, he focused on the 2001 Maccabiah Games in Israel. As a Jewish athlete, Lenny wanted to compete with other top Jewish athletes. It was a special chance for him.

He also had a childhood dream of visiting Israel, which is considered a holy land. He was chosen to carry the United States flag during the opening ceremony of the games. At the Maccabiah Games, he won a gold medal and set a new record in the 100-meter backstroke. He also earned another gold medal in the 4×100-meter medley relay.

In 2017, Lenny Krayzelburg returned to the 2017 Maccabiah Games. He took part in a special 4×50-meter relay race. He teamed up with other American Olympic champions, Jason Lezak and Anthony Ervin. They raced against Israeli Olympians and won.

Overcoming Challenges

A few months after the 2001 Maccabiah Games, Lenny had to have surgery. He injured his left shoulder after falling while running. This injury meant he had to take a year off from swimming.

In September 2003, Lenny changed coaches. He started training with Dave Salo. This was a big change for him. Working with Salo, Lenny changed his swimming style. This was especially important because of his shoulder injuries. He continued to train hard and overcome these difficulties.

See also

In Spanish: Lenny Krayzelburg 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 select Jewish swimmers
• List of University of Southern California people
• List of World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming (men)
• World record progression 50 metres backstroke
• World record progression 100 metres backstroke
• World record progression 200 metres backstroke
• World record progression 4 × 100 metres medley relay