Rowdy Gaines facts for kids
Gaines in 1983
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| Nickname(s) | "Rowdy" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | February 17, 1959 Winter Haven, Florida, U.S. |
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| Height | 6 ft 1 in | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 161 lb | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Swimming | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Strokes | Freestyle | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College team | Auburn University | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Ambrose "Rowdy" Gaines IV (born February 17, 1959) is a famous American swimmer. He is a member of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame. Rowdy won three gold medals at the Olympics. He is also in the International Swimming Hall of Fame. People call him "The Voice of Swimming" because he talks about swimming on TV. He has covered the Olympic Games for NBC since 1992.
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Rowdy Gaines' Early Life
Rowdy Gaines was born in Winter Haven, Florida. His parents, Jettie Ann and Ambrose "Buddy" Gaines, met there. They were water skiers at Cypress Gardens in the 1950s. Rowdy tried many sports when he was younger. He started swimming seriously at age 17. This was when he was a junior at Winter Haven High School. He earned a swimming scholarship to Auburn University. At Auburn, he became a five-time NCAA champion. His coach was Richard Quick.
Rowdy's Amazing Swimming Career
From 1978 to 1984, Rowdy Gaines set 10 world records. He held the world record for the 100-meter and 200-meter freestyle races. He was expected to win many medals at the 1980 Moscow Olympics. However, the 1980 boycott stopped him from competing. Rowdy felt he was at his best then. He believed he missed a chance to win four gold medals.
Rowdy did get to compete in the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. He won a gold medal in the 100-meter freestyle. He also won two more gold medals in relay races. He swam the final part of the race for the U.S. team. These were the 4×100-meter freestyle relay and the 4×100-meter medley relay. Rowdy faced some challenges after missing the 1980 Olympics. But he worked through them and became an Olympic champion.
From Swimmer to Commentator
Rowdy started talking about swimming for NBC. His first time was at the Atlanta 1996 Summer Olympics. He has been the swimming expert for many Olympics since then. These include Sydney (2000), Athens (2004), Beijing (2008), London (2012), Rio (2016), and Tokyo (2020, held in 2021). He also covered the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics. Rowdy has announced that the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympics will be his last. He plans to retire to spend more time with his grandchildren.
Rowdy still swims and breaks records! In 2011, he broke his own national record. This was in the 50-yard freestyle for swimmers aged 50-54. He also broke the 100m freestyle record for his age group.
Rowdy is also the leader of Rowdy’s Kidz. This program helps children across the country stay healthy. It is supported by The Limu Company.
Rowdy and his wife, Judy, live in Lake Mary, Florida. They have four daughters.
Awards and Honors
Rowdy Gaines has received many important awards:
- International Swimming Hall of Fame
- U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame
- Alabama Sports Hall of Fame
- Florida Sports Hall of Fame
- Southeastern Conference Athlete of the Year: 1981
- McDonald's Spirit Award: 1982
- NCAA Silver Anniversary Award: 2007
- Golden Goggle Awards, Alumni of the Year: 2024
See also
In Spanish: Rowdy Gaines para niños
- List of members of the International Swimming Hall of Fame
- List of Auburn University people
- List of multiple Olympic gold medalists
- List of Olympic medalists in swimming (men)
