Natalie Coughlin
Natalie Coughlin
Natalie Coughlin Hall, née Natalie Anne Coughlin, is an American competition swimmer and twelve-time Olympic medalist. While attending the University of California, Berkeley, she became the first woman ever to swim the 100-meter backstrokein less than one minute—ten days before her 20th birthday in 2002. At the 2008 Summer Olympics, she became the first U.S. female athlete in modern Olympic history to win six medals in one Olympiad, and the first woman ever to win a 100-meter backstroke gold in...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionSwimmer
Date of Birth23 August 1982
CityVallejo, CA
CountryUnited States of America
I remember, I think it was my first meet, I entered the 25 fly. I couldn't even get my arms out of the water, and I got DQ. I don't know what evil official would DQ a 6-year-old, but it was a little discouraging.
I generally wake up at 4:30, have breakfast No. 1, then get to the pool by 5 a.m.
Some keep their school ties forever, and I know I'm going to be one of those people, ... Who knows, if I get bored between Olympics, maybe I'll become an assistant coach for the team. If they'll have me, that is.
I don't know what Aaron is doing, but it's working. He works really hard and he enjoys the sport, which is really important. That comes through in his races. He's going to keep getting better and better.
The year after the Olympics is always an interesting year,
I plan to swim at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. After all, I'm still improving.
It was so much fun for them to be included.
It felt good. I was just trying to make it into the top 8. I tend to go out really fast and try to hold on, and for this one, I just tried to let myself go fast, but not force it, and then make myself come home. That was my strategy, and I think it worked.
This whole meet has kind of been survival mode. I'm definitely not in peak condition. I can't focus really, really intensely for four years straight.
Ties are pretty rare. I don't think I've ever tied anybody.
I'm comfortable in the locker room situation, so whatever.
You see a lot of us lingering around. We'll just stand there on the edge of the pool and kinda psych ourselves up into getting in.
I live in a swimsuit so I'm really comfortable with my body.
Without goals, training has no direction.