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 U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame and the International Swimming Hall of Fame. Rowdy Gaines won three gold medals at the Olympics. He is also known as "The Voice of Swimming" because he has been a swimming announcer for NBC at the Olympic Games since 1992.
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Early Life and College
Rowdy Gaines was born in Winter Haven, Florida. His parents, Jettie Ann and Ambrose "Buddy" Gaines, met there as water skiers. Rowdy tried many sports when he was younger. He started swimming seriously at age 17, during his junior year of high school.
He earned a swimming scholarship to Auburn University. At Auburn, he became a five-time champion in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). This means he won five national college swimming titles. His coach there was Richard Quick.
Swimming Career Highlights
From 1978 to 1984, Rowdy Gaines set 10 new world records in swimming. He was the world record holder for both the 100-meter and 200-meter freestyle races.
He was expected to win many medals at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. However, the United States decided to boycott (not attend) those Olympics. This meant Gaines could not compete. He felt this happened when he was at his best. He believed he missed the chance to win four gold medals.
Gaines did get to compete at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California. He won a gold medal in the 100-meter freestyle race. He also won two more gold medals as part of the U.S. relay teams. He swam the final part of the 4×100-meter freestyle relay and the 4×100-meter medley relay.
After missing the 1980 Games, Gaines faced some tough times. He said he had "some big struggles" especially in the year after the Olympics.
Life After Competing
Rowdy Gaines started working as a swimming analyst for NBC. He has covered many Olympic Games, including:
- The 1996 Atlanta Olympics
- The 2000 Sydney Olympics
- The 2004 Athens Olympics
- The 2008 Beijing Olympics
- The 2012 London Olympics
- The 2016 Rio Olympics
- The 2020 Tokyo Olympics (held in 2021)
- The 2024 Paris Olympics
He has announced that the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles will be his last. He plans to retire to spend more time with his grandchildren.
In 2011, Gaines continued to swim in Masters competitions. He broke his own national record in the 50-yard freestyle for his age group (50–54 division). He also broke the 100-meter freestyle record for his age group that same year.
Gaines is also the executive director of Rowdy’s Kidz. This is a program that helps children across the country learn about wellness and healthy living.
Rowdy Gaines lives in Lake Mary, Florida, with his wife, Judy. They have four daughters.
Awards and Honors
Rowdy Gaines has received many awards for his amazing swimming career:
- 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 multiple Olympic gold medalists at a single Games
- List of Olympic medalists in swimming (men)
- List of World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming (men)
- World record progression 50 metres freestyle
- World record progression 100 metres freestyle
- World record progression 200 metres freestyle
- World record progression 4 × 100 metres freestyle relay
- World record progression 4 × 100 metres medley relay
- World record progression 4 × 200 metres freestyle relay
