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 an American former backstroke swimmer. He is famous for winning four Olympic gold medals and setting world records. Lenny competed in the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games.

Early Life and Moving to the US

Lenny Krayzelburg was born in Odesa, which was then 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 settled in Los Angeles, California.

Life was not easy for the family at first. They faced money problems. Lenny had to travel a long way to swimming practice every day, sometimes taking a bus and walking for 45 minutes. He often didn't get home until late at night. Also, he had to learn English quickly to understand his coaches. Luckily, a large Russian-speaking community in Los Angeles helped him adjust.

College Swimming 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 saw his great talent. This coach suggested Lenny train with Mark Schubert at the University of Southern California (USC). Lenny then transferred to USC.

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

In 1999, Lenny Krayzelburg broke three world records in backstroke swimming. He set new times for the 50-meter, 100-meter, and 200-meter races. These amazing achievements made him known as the best backstroke swimmer in the world. Many people even called him one of the greatest backstroke swimmers ever.

Olympic Success in 2000

Lenny continued his amazing performance at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. He broke the Olympic record in the 100-meter backstroke. He also set another Olympic record in the 200-meter backstroke.

Besides his individual wins, Lenny was a key part of the American team. He helped them win a gold medal in the 4 × 100-meter medley relay. The team also set a new world record in this event.

Competing in the Maccabiah Games

After his success at the Olympics, Lenny made a special decision. He chose to skip the 2001 World Championships in Japan. Instead, he wanted to compete in the 2001 Maccabiah Games in Israel. The Maccabiah Games are a big sports event for Jewish athletes from all over the world.

As a Jewish athlete, Lenny wanted to experience this unique competition. It was also a childhood dream of his to visit Israel. 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 returned to the 2017 Maccabiah Games. He took part in a special relay race with other American Olympic champions like Jason Lezak and Anthony Ervin. Their team swam against Israeli Olympians and won the race.

Overcoming Challenges

A few months after the 2000 Olympics, Lenny faced a challenge. He had to have surgery on his left shoulder after falling while running. This meant he had to take a year off from swimming to recover.

In 2003, Lenny changed coaches. He started training with Dave Salo. This change helped him adjust his swimming style, especially because of his shoulder injury. He continued to work hard and train for future competitions.

See also

• 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