INFO
Career
In her first three years as a Golden Bear, Natalie Coughlin has already established herself as one of the finest athletes to ever compete at the University of California.
As a junior, Coughlin earned her third straight NCAA Swimmer of the Year and Pac-10 Swimmer of the Year awards. At the national championships, she became the NCAA’s first three-time titilist in the 100-yard butterfly and 100 and 200-yard backstrokes. Coughlin owns the American and NCAA records in each of those events. At the 2003 Pac-10 Championships, she broke her own American and NCAA record in the 100-yard freestyle, swimming a 47.42 time for the victory. Coughlin also posted two other individual wins at the conference championships, setting new Pac-10 meet records in the 50 free (22.05) and 100 fly (51.10). She also swam the second leg on Cal’s victorious 200 free relay team (1:31.01), helping the Bears to their fifth-consecutive 200 free relay conference title. In all, Coughlin broke three world, seven American and three NCAA records during the 2002-03 season.
Last November, Coughlin appeared as a cooking guest on NBC’s Today Show and dazzled Katie Couric and Al Roker with her pork tenderloin and persimmon risotto. Additionally, she smashed three world and four American records at the FINA World Cup in East Meadow, NY. Less than a month later, Coughlin was named the 2002 Female World Swimmer of the Year by Swimming World magazine. The male counterpart to the award was Australia’s Ian Thorpe. She was also announced as one of five finalists for the AAU James E. Sullivan Award given to the nation’s best amateur athlete for the second consecutive season.
Coughlin continues to add to her outstanding collegiate career. In addition to her nine NCAA titles and seven Pac-10 titles, she has remained undefeated in Pac-10 dual meet races (43-0). At the Auburn Invitational last December, Coughlin broke American and NCAA records in the 200 free (1:42.65) and 200 fly (1:51.91)—the oldest American record on the books. Overall, Coughlin has broken six world records, 34 American records and 11 Cal records.
Despite the end of the 2003 season, the awards continued to pile up for Coughlin. Last April, she earned her second consecutive Honda Award for Swimming and Diving. Coughlin joins Mary T. Meagher as Cal swimmers who have won the Honda Sports Award. With Coughlin’s three NCAA individual titles last season, she has now surpassed Meagher for the most national titles by a Cal women’s swimmer. Last June, Coughlin was given a second nod from ESPN, earning two ESPY award nominations for Best Female Collegiate Athlete and Best Record-Breaking Performance. Then in July, despite being ill during the FINA World Championships, Coughlin led the U.S. 400-meter free and medley relays to respective gold and silver medals.
In 2001-02, Coughlin was a three-time USA Swimmer of the Month honoree, culminating in earning the USA Swimming Athlete of the Year award. She also won the ConocoPhilips Performance of the Year award for her world record breaking swim in the 100-meter backstroke at the U.S. Summer National Championships. Coughlin shattered that record (59.58), becoming the first female to ever post a sub-minute finish. She won five events at the championships and became the first swimmer since 1978 to win five national titles at one meet. She also broke the American record in the 200m back (2:08.53), the oldest U.S. mark at nationals. At the 2002 Pan Pacific Championships in Yokohama, Japan she won six medals and set the American record in the 100-meter freestyle (53.99), becoming the first U.S. woman and the second female in history to break 54 seconds in the event. Coughlin won four gold medals at the championships, one for each of her individual events, tying Australian Ian Thorpe with the most overall medals.
As a sophomore, Coughlin was named the NCAA Swimmer of the Year for the second consecutive season, Coughlin also repeated as the Pac-10 Swimmer of the Year. At the NCAA Championships, she won national titles in the 100-yard butterfly (50.01), and 100 back (49.97) and 200 back (1:49.52). Coughlin set NCAA, American and U.S. Open records in all three events, breaking the NCAA records she had set just the previous year. Coughlin also swam a NCAA, American and U.S. Open best in the 100 free (47.47) in the first leg of the 400 free relay. She helped her teammates to two national runner-up finishes in the 200 and 400 medley relays as well.
At the Pac-10 Championships Coughlin set conference records in the 200 free (1:43.30), and 100 back (50.71) and 200 back (1:50.90). She was also a finalist for the Sullivan Award as the nation’s top amateur athlete and was one of five nominees for an ESPN ESPY award as Best Female Collegiate Athlete.
As a freshman in 2001, Coughlin was named NCAA Swimmer of the Year, Pac-10 Swimmer of the Year and Pac-10 Newcomer of the Year. It was the first time in Pac-10 history someone has been named both Conference Newcomer of the Year and Swimmer of the Year. Coughlin was also the third consecutive Cal swimmer to earn Pac-10 Swimmer of the Year.
Coughlin had what was arguably the greatest freshman campaign of any collegiate swimmer in NCAA history. She won the national title in the 100 fly and the 100 and 200 back, while breaking NCAA records in all three events. Coughlin also helped the Bears to three second-place NCAA finishes in the 200 and 400 medley and 200 free relays. At the Pac-10 Championships she won the 200 back title.
Coughlin won U.S. National titles Mar. 27-Apr. 1, 2001 in Austin, TX in both in the 100m fly (59.38) and the 100m back (1:01.32). Coughlin represented the United States at the 2001 World Championship, July 22-29 in Fukuoka, Japan, winning the world title in the 100m back.
Coughlin is the Cal school record holder in the 50, 100, 200 and 500 free, 100 and 200 back, and 100 and 200 fly. She is also a member of school record-setting 200 and 400 medley and 200 free relays. Coughlin holds Cal’s all-time top times in the 50, 100, 200 and 500 free, 100 and 200 back, 100 and 200 fly, 200 and 400 medley relays and 200 free relay.
A 2000 graduate of Carondelet High School in Concord, Calif., Coughlin was the No. 1 high school recruit in the country and competed in the 200m IM and 100m fly at the 2000 Olympic Trials. The national high school record holder in the 100 back, 100 fly and 200 IM, Coughlin was also the 1998 and 1999 top female point scorer for the Scholastic All-America Team. A U.S. team member at the 1999 Pan Pacific Games, Coughlin also was a member of the 1997 U.S. national junior team. In 1998, Swimming World magazine named her the High School Swimmer of the Year.
A second team Pac-10 All-Academic selection in 2003, Coughlin is majoring in psychology. Her parents Jim and Zennie Coughlin are from Concord, Calif. Coughlin was born Aug. 23, 1982 in Vallejo, Calif.
In Brief
In 2005
Won two National titles in the 100m free and 100m back at World Championship Trials; also finished third in the 100m fly.
In 2004
Won five medals, two gold, at the Olympic Games to become the third American woman to win five at one meet; panned gold in the 100m back (Olympic record) and led off the gold medal-winning 800m free relay that broke the 17-year old world record; also won silver in the 400m free relay (American record) and 400m medley relay and bronze in the 100m free … qualified for the 2004 Olympic team in two events, the 100m back and 100m free, by finishing first and second, respectively, at Olympic Trials; also finished sixth in 50m free at Trials; broke the Trials meet record in the 100m back (59.85) … won the 100m back and the 100m fly as well as taking third in the 200m back at NCAAs; led-off Cal's 400m free relay with an American record in the 100m free split.
In 2003
Named the Women's Sports Foundation's Sportswoman of the year for the 2002-2003 season … fell ill during the FINA World Championships, yet helped Team USA to a gold in the 400m free relay and a silver in the 400m medley relay; finished eighth in the 100m fly … won the 100m back and the 100m fly as well as swimming on the 400m free relay that broke the U.S. Open record at the Mutual of Omaha Duel in the Pool … won the 100y, 200y backstrokes as well as the 100y fly for the third-straight NCAA Championships; was named NCAA Swimmer of the Year for the third-straight time; also set an American and U.S. Open record in the 100y free, leading off the Cal 400m free relay.
In 2002
Broke the American records in the 200y fly and the 200y free at the Auburn Invitational … broke three world records (scm) in two days, taking the 100m back, 100m fly and 100m IM at the second World Cup stop; also won the 50m back … broke American record in the 100m free in winning Pan Pac gold (53.99); won the 100m backstroke and 100m fly as well as swimming to gold in one (800m FR) and silver in two relays (400m FR and 400m MR) at Pan Pacific Championships ... became first person since Tracy Caulkins in 1978 to win five U.S. National titles at one meet when she won the 100m and 200m free, 100m (WR) and 200m (AR) back and 100m fly at the P66 Summer Nationals ... became the first woman to swim 100m back under a minute ... won Honda Award as nation’s top collegiate female swimmer … one of five finalists for the Sullivan Award … named NCAA Swimmer of the Year for the second-straight year after winning the 100y and 200y back as well as the 100y fly all in American and U.S. Open record time; also set an American and U.S. Open record in the 100y free, leading off the Cal 400m free relay.
In 2001
Set two world records (scm) and an American/U.S. Open record at World Cup 3 in New York; time in 100m back earned her FINA Performer of the Meet honors … at the World Cup meet, swept the backstrokes (world records in the 100 and 200 and a World Cup record in the 50) and won the 50m fly (American and U.S. Open record); was second in the 100m fly … gold medalist in 100m back and 800m free relay (co-champs with Great Britain, per FINA ruling), silver medalist on 400m medley relay and bronze medalist in 50m back at World Championships; set a new 100m back American record leading off the 400m MR; also helped set a new American record in the 800m free relay ... won 100m back and 100m fly at P66 Spring Nationals ... named NCAA Swimmer of the Year after winning the 100y and 200y back in American record times and 100y fly in NCAA record time at NCAAs.
International Medals
Olympic Games
2004:
1st - 100m back (OR)
1st - 800m FR (WR)
2nd - 400m FR (AR)
3rd, 100m free
World Championships
2003:
1st - 400m FR
2nd - 400m MR
2001:
3rd - 50m back
1st - 100m back
1st - 800m FR (AR)
2nd - 400m MR
Pan Pacific Championships
2002:
1st - 100m free (AR)
1st - 100m back (CR)
1st - 100m fly (tied CR)
2nd - 400m FR
1st - 800m FR (CR)
2nd - 400m MR
1999:
no medals
Short Course World Championships
2004:
did not compete due to injury
U.S. National Titles
200m free (1): '02 SUM
100m back (2): '02 SUM (WR), '01 SPG
200m back (3): '02 SUM (AR), '98 SUM, '98 SPG
100m fly (2): '02 SUM, '01 SPG
World Rankings
2000:
110th - 50m fly
44th - 100m fly
25th - 200m IM
2001:
21st - 50m free
18th - 100m free
14th - 200m free
2nd - 50m back
1st - 100m back
59th - 200m back
4th - 50m fly
7th - 100m fly
2002:
1st - 100m free
4th - 200m free
32nd - 50m back
1st - 100m back
1st - 200m back
42nd - 50m fly
2nd - 100m fly
27th - 200m IM
2003:
5th - 100m free
3rd - 100m back
25th - 200m back
6th - 100m fly
Courtesy of Cal Bears Swimming & USA Swimming
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