Maritza Correia facts for kids
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Correia in April 2016
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Nickname(s) | "Ritz" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | December 23, 1981 San Juan, Puerto Rico |
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| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 134 lb (61 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Sport | Swimming | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Strokes | Freestyle | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Brandon Blue Wave | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College team | University of Georgia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Maritza Correia (born December 23, 1981), also known by her married name Maritza McClendon, is an amazing former Olympic swimmer. She was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico but swam for the United States.
Maritza made history in 2004 when she joined the U.S. Olympic team. She was the first person of African descent from Puerto Rico to be on the U.S. Olympic swimming team. She also became the first African-American woman to win an Olympic medal in swimming for the United States. Plus, she was the first black American swimmer to set an American and world record!
Contents
Early Life and Swimming Beginnings
Maritza Correia was born and grew up in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Her parents, Vincent and Anne, had moved there from Guyana.
When Maritza was seven years old, in 1988, doctors found out she had severe scoliosis. This is a condition where the spine curves. Her doctor suggested she take swimming lessons. Swimming helped her condition and became a big part of her life.
In 1990, her family moved to Tampa, Florida. Maritza went to Tampa Bay Technical High School and joined the school's swimming team. She quickly became a star!
High School Success
- In 1999, she won the U.S. national championship for the 50-meter freestyle in her age group (18 and under).
- She won six Florida high school state championships in five different swimming events.
- Maritza was part of the USA national junior team in 1997. They competed in Sweden.
- She also joined the 1999 USA Short Course World Championships team in Hong Kong.
College Swimming Career
In 1999, Maritza joined the University of Georgia Lady Bulldogs swimming and diving team. She helped her team win a big title in the 400-meter freestyle relay. She also earned a special award called the SEC Commissioner's Trophy.
Maritza was the first swimmer in Southeastern Conference history to win a title in all freestyle events. During her college years, she was named an All-American 27 times and won 11 NCAA championships.
Becoming a National Champion and Olympian
Maritza's swimming career was full of exciting moments and big wins.
2000 Olympic Trials
Maritza really wanted to swim at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. She competed in the Olympic trials, but she didn't make the team that year. This didn't stop her from working hard!
World Championships and Records
- In 2001, Maritza won a gold medal in the 800-meter freestyle. She also earned two bronze medals in relay events at the World Championships in Japan.
- In 2002, she became a national champion in both the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyle. She also helped her relay teams win at the NCAA Championships in Austin, Texas.
- She set new records for the NCAA, American, and U.S. Open in the 50-yard freestyle. Her time of 21.69 seconds was super fast!
- In July 2003, Maritza won a gold medal at the 2003 World Aquatics Championships in Barcelona, Spain. She swam in a preliminary heat for the 4 × 100-meter freestyle relay.
2004 Summer Olympics
| 2004 Summer Olympics | ||
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| Silver | 4x100 m freestyle relay | 3:36.39 |
The year 2004 was a huge one for Maritza! She earned an Olympic silver medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. She swam in the preliminary race for the 4 × 100-meter freestyle relay. This made her the first female African-American swimmer to win an Olympic medal for the United States.
Later in October 2004, she won another gold medal. This was for the 4 × 100-meter freestyle relay at the Short Course World Championships in Indianapolis.
More Gold Medals
Maritza graduated from the University of Georgia in 2005 with a degree in sociology. That same year, she won three gold medals at the 2005 Summer Universiade in Izmir, Turkey.
Life After Swimming
In March 2010, Maritza married Chad McClendon. They started a family, welcoming their son Kason on January 1, 2012. Their daughter, Sanaya Anne, was born on September 25, 2013. Maritza is also a member of the Sigma Gamma Rho sorority.
See also
In Spanish: Maritza Correia para niños
- List of Puerto Ricans
- List of Guyanese Americans
- List of Olympic medalists in swimming (women)
- List of University of Georgia people
- List of World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming (women)
- Pan American Games records in swimming
- World record progression 4 × 100 metres medley relay
