Jenny Thompson
Swimming

Jenny Thompson

Olympian 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004

  • 8

    GOLD

  • 3

    SILVER

  • 1

    BRONZE

Athlete Bio#

Jenny Thompson

Age

52

Hometown

Dover, NH

Education

Dover High School (Dover, N.H.) Stanford University; Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons

Personal
Daughter of Margrid Thompson...Has three siblings...Honed her swimming abilities as a member of the Seacoast Swimming Association...Was the youngest U.S. swimmer to win a gold medal at age 14 during the Olympic Games Barcelona 1992...Attended Stanford University on scholarship and majored in human biology...Was a 15-time world record holder...Most decorated U.S. Olympic female swimmer in history...Graduated from Columbia University’s College and Physicians and Surgeons...Practices medicine as a physician and specializes as a pediatric anesthesiologist.
Olympic Experience
  • 4-time Olympian; 12-time Olympic medalist (8 gold, 3 silver, 1 bronze)
    • Olympic Games Athens 2004, silver (4 x 100m Freestyle Relay - Women, 4 x 100m Medley Relay - Women), 5th (100m Butterfly - Women), 7th (50m Freestyle - Women)
    • Olympic Games Sydney 2000, gold (4 x 100m Freestyle Relay - Women, 4 x 100m Medley Relay - Women, 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay - Women), bronze (100m Freestyle - Women), 5th (100m Butterfly - Women)
    • Olympic Games Atlanta 1996, gold (4 x 100m Freestyle Relay - Women, 4 x 100m Medley Relay - Women, 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay - Women)
    • Olympic Games Barcelona 1992, gold (4 x 100m Freestyle Relay - Women, 4 x 100m Medley Relay - Women), silver (100m Freestyle - Women), 5th (50m Freestyle - Women), 17th (200m Freestyle - Women)
World Championships Experience
  • Most recent: 2004 – gold (4 x 100m Freestyle Relay (SC) - Women, 50m Butterfly (SC) - Women), silver (4 x 100m Medley Relay (SC) - Women), bronze (100m Butterfly (SC) - Women), 7th (50m Freestyle (SC) - Women)
  • Years of participation: 100m Butterfly (SC) - Women 1997, 1999, 2000, 2004; 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay (SC) - Women 2004; 4 x 100m Medley Relay (SC) - Women 1997, 2000, 2004; 50m Butterfly (SC) - Women 1999, 2000, 2004; 50m Freestyle (SC) - Women 1997, 1999, 2004; 100m Butterfly - Women 1994, 1998, 2003; 100m Freestyle - Women 1994, 1998, 2003; 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay - Women 1994, 1998, 2003; 4 x 100m Medley Relay - Women 1994, 1998, 2003; 50m Butterfly - Women 2003; 50m Freestyle - Women 1998, 2003; 100m Freestyle (SC) - Women 1997, 1999, 2000; 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay (SC) - Women 2000; 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay - Women 1994, 1998
  • Medals: 30 (15 gold, 11 silver, 4 bronze)
    • Gold – 2004 (4 x 100m Freestyle Relay (SC) - Women, 50m Butterfly (SC) - Women); 2003 (100m Butterfly - Women, 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay - Women); 2000 (100m Butterfly (SC) - Women, 50m Butterfly (SC) - Women); 1999 (100m Butterfly (SC) - Women, 100m Freestyle (SC) - Women, 50m Butterfly (SC) - Women); 1998 (100m Butterfly - Women, 100m Freestyle - Women, 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay - Women, 4 x 100m Medley Relay - Women); 1997 (100m Butterfly (SC) - Women, 100m Freestyle (SC) - Women)
    • Silver – 2004 (4 x 100m Medley Relay (SC) - Women); 2003 (4 x 100m Medley Relay - Women, 50m Butterfly - Women); 2000 (100m Freestyle (SC) - Women, 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay (SC) - Women); 1999 (50m Freestyle (SC) - Women); 1998 (4 x 200m Freestyle Relay - Women); 1997 (4 x 100m Medley Relay (SC) - Women, 50m Freestyle (SC) - Women); 1994 (4 x 100m Freestyle Relay - Women, 4 x 100m Medley Relay - Women)
    • Bronze – 2004 (100m Butterfly (SC) - Women); 2003 (100m Freestyle - Women); 2000 (4 x 100m Medley Relay (SC) - Women); 1994 (4 x 200m Freestyle Relay - Women)

With her eight gold medals and 12 overall medals, Jenny Thompson has won more Olympic medals than any other female swimmer in Olympic history. Born in Danvers, Massachusetts, to a single mother, Thompson earned a scholarship to Stanford University. She went on to compete at four Olympic Games, winning each of her eight gold medals in relay events. One of her biggest accomplishments came in 1999, when Thomson broke the world record in the 100-meter butterfly and broke a nearly 20-year record previously held by her, idol Mary T. Meagher. She made the 2004 U.S. Olympic Swim Team while studying as a medical student. Thompson won two silver medals at the Athens 2004 Games in the 4x100 freestyle and medley relays and retired afterwards. She continues to practice as a physician, specializing as a pediatric anesthesiologist. A recreation center in Dover, New Hampshire, bears her name and Thompson continues to help at an annual camp held there.

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