Tracy Caulkins biography

 Tracy Caulkins biography

 Tracy Caulkins, (born Jan. 11, 1963, Winona, Minn., U.S.), American athlete, thought-about probably the most versatile swimmers ever. She is the one swimmer to set U.S. data in each stroke, and he or she received a file 48 U.S. nationwide swimming titles.

Caulkins started swimming when she was eight years previous and received her first titles on the 1977 Amateur Athletic Union nationwide indoor championships, the place she set U.S. data within the short-course breaststroke and long-course particular person medley occasions. In 1978 she turned the primary girl to swim the 200-yard particular person medley in underneath 2 minutes, posting a time of 1 min 59.33 sec. By the tip of the yr, Caulkins had damaged or tied 27 world or U.S. data, an achievement that was due, partially, to the flexibility of her knees to bend backwards, which gave her a strong dolphinlike kick when she swam. She obtained the James E. Sullivan Memorial Award as the highest U.S. beginner athlete of 1978, changing into the youngest recipient of the honour.

Caulkins would have been favoured to win gold medals on the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow however was unable to compete due to the U.S. boycott. By 1982 she had surpassed Johnny Weissmuller’s file of 36 U.S. nationwide titles and received extra titles than every other U.S. beginner athlete. While competing on the University of Florida, she received 12 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championships and twice obtained the Honda Broderick Cup because the nation’s excellent feminine collegiate athlete (1983, 1984). She set NCAA data within the 200- and 400-metre particular person medleys, the 100-metre breaststroke, and the 200-metre fly.

At the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, Caulkins received three gold medals, with victories within the 200- and 400-metre particular person medleys and the 4 × 100-metre medley relay. She retired after the 1984 Games, having received 48 nationwide titles and set 66 world or U.S. data. In 1990 she was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame.