Lia Neal facts for kids
.jpg) |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | February 13, 1995 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Swimming | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Strokes | Freestyle | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Asphalt Green Unified Aquatics (Eastside) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College team | Stanford University | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Medal record
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Lia Neal (born February 13, 1995) is an American former professional swimmer. She was known for her speed in freestyle events. Lia made her Olympic debut at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. There, she won a bronze medal in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay. In 2016, she earned a silver medal in the same event at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics. She was also the second female African-American swimmer to join a U.S. Olympic team.
Early Life and Swimming Start
Lia Neal was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1995. Her parents are Siu and Jerome Neal. Lia has both African and Chinese heritage. She began swimming when she was six years old in New York City. She went to the Convent of the Sacred Heart School in New York City. While there, she was part of a club swim team called Asphalt Green Unified Aquatics.
Lia Neal's Swimming Career
First Olympic Trials in 2008
Lia Neal first competed at the 2008 US Olympic Trials. This event took place in Omaha, Nebraska, when she was just 13 years old. She placed 28th in the 50-meter freestyle race. She also ranked 78th in the 100-meter freestyle.
Olympic Journey Begins in 2012
Qualifying for the 2012 Olympics
At the 2012 United States Olympic Trials, Lia Neal earned a spot on the U.S. Olympic team. She finished fourth in the 100-meter freestyle race. Her time was 54.33 seconds, which qualified her for the 4×100-meter freestyle relay.
At 17 years old, Lia became the second female African-American swimmer to make a U.S. Olympic swimming team. She was also special because she came from New York. Most U.S. Olympic swimmers usually come from warmer states like Florida or California.
Winning Bronze at the 2012 London Olympics
| 2012 Summer Olympics | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bronze | 4x100 m freestyle relay | 3:34.24 |
At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Lia Neal won a bronze medal. She was part of the 4×100-meter freestyle relay team. Her teammates were Missy Franklin, Jessica Hardy, and Allison Schmitt. The U.S. team finished third, behind Australia and the Netherlands.
Lia swam the third part of the relay, completing her leg in 53.65 seconds. The U.S. team set an American record with a total time of 3:34.24. Lia was chosen for the final race because of her strong performance in the earlier heats.
Lia Neal made history with fellow African-American swimmers Anthony Ervin and Cullen Jones. They were the first time more than one African-American swimmer was on a U.S. Olympic swim team. Lia was also a high school senior and the first student from the Convent of the Sacred Heart to compete in the Olympic Games since the school started in 1881.
Making History in 2015
In 2015, Lia Neal was part of another historic moment. She became one of the first three African-American swimmers to place in the top three spots in the 100-yard freestyle at a Women’s Division I NCAA Swimming Championship. Simone Manuel finished first, Lia Neal was second, and Natalie Hinds came in third.
Silver Medal at the 2016 Olympics
| 2016 Summer Olympics | ||
|---|---|---|
| Silver | 4x100 m freestyle relay | 3:31.89 |
In 2016, at the Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Olympic Games, Lia Neal won a silver medal. She competed in the preliminary heats of the Women's 4 × 100 m freestyle relay.
College Swimming and World Championships
From 2013 to 2017, Lia swam for Stanford University. She was an amazing college swimmer, winning 8 NCAA championships.
In July 2019, Lia competed at the 2019 World Aquatics Championships in Gwangju, South Korea. She was the anchor swimmer for the 4x100-meter freestyle relay team. She swam her leg in 54.41 seconds, helping her team win a silver medal in the finals.
| 2019 World Championships | ||
|---|---|---|
| Silver | 4x100 m freestyle relay | 3:31.02 |
Connecting with Fans in 2020
In April 2020, Lia Neal shared more about her life and her efforts to change how people see swimmers. She did this through a SwimSwam podcast. She also started a YouTube channel on August 19, 2016. In March 2020, she began uploading videos to her channel. Her goal was to make the swimming community more visible and welcoming to everyone.
Retirement from Competitive Swimming
In May 2021, Lia Neal announced that she was retiring from competitive swimming.
Personal Life
Lia Neal is Catholic. She was baptized at Sacred Heart Church in Brooklyn. After her swimming career, she earned an MBA from Harvard Business School.
See also
- List of Olympic medalists in swimming (women)
- World record progression 4 × 100 metres freestyle relay
- List of people from New York (state)
- List of people from New York City
- List of people from Brooklyn
- Diversity in swimming
