| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Dana Whitney Vollmer |
| National team |  United States |
| Born | November 13, 1987 Syracuse, New York |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Weight | 150 lb (68 kg) |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Swimming |
| Strokes | Butterfly, freestyle |
| Club | California Aquatics |
| College team | University of California, Berkeley; University of Florida |
Dana Whitney Vollmer (born November 13, 1987) is an American competition swimmer, Olympic gold medalist, and world record-holder. At the 2004 Summer Olympics, she won a gold medal as a member of the winning United States team in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay that set the world record in the event. Eight years later at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Vollmer set the world record on her way to the gold medal in the 100-meter butterfly, and also won golds in the 4×100-meter medley relay and 4×200-meter freestyle relay.
Vollmer has won a total of thirty two medals in major international competitions, including nineteen gold medals, eight silver, and five bronze, spanning the Olympics, the World Championships, the Pan American Games, the Pan Pacific Championships, and the Goodwill Games.
Early years
Vollmer was born in Syracuse, New York, and raised in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex region in Granbury, Texas. As an age group swimmer, Vollmer swam for coach Ron Forrest at the Fort Worth Area Swim Team (FAST).
In 2003, Vollmer underwent heart surgery to correct a condition called supraventricular tachycardia, which produces a quickened pulse rate of about 240 beats per minute. After that surgery, an electrocardiogram indicated to her cardiologists that she might have the Long QT. Then, further testing ruled out this condition. Her physicians recommended that she always have a defibrillator at the poolside whenever she swims in case of a heart emergency.
College career
Vollmer first enrolled in the University of Florida, and swam for coach Gregg Troy's Florida Gators swimming and diving team in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and Southeastern Conference (SEC) competition in 2006. As a freshman, she earned four honorable mention All-American honors. After her first year, she transferred to the University of California, Berkeley, where she finished her NCAA and Pacific-10 Conference career competing for coach Teri McKeever's California Golden Bears swimming and diving team from 2007 to 2009. Vollmer was the Bears' most valuable swimmer for three consecutive years, the Pac-10 Swimmer of the Year in 2009, and the 2008–09 recipient of the Honda Sports Award for Swimming and Diving, recognizing her as the outstanding college female swimmer of the year. She earned 20 All-American honors as a Golden Bear swimmer, won an individual NCAA championship in the 100-yard butterfly in 2007, and led the Bears to their first NCAA team championship in 2009.
Swimming career
Early career
At the age of 12, Vollmer was the youngest swimmer to compete at the 2000 U.S. Olympic Trials, but did not qualify for the U.S. Olympic team. She was also the youngest swimming competitor a year later at the 2001 Goodwill Games.
2004 Summer Olympic Games
At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, Vollmer won a gold medal as a member of the winning U.S. team in 4×200-meter freestyle relay, together with Natalie Coughlin, Carly Piper and Kaitlin Sandeno. In addition to winning the gold medal, the U.S. relay team broke the previous world record in the event that had stood for 17 years.
2005–2008
At the 2007 World Aquatics Championships, Vollmer won a gold medal in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay. She also won the silver medal in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay and 4×100-meter medley relay.
Vollmer just missed making the 2008 Olympic team, placing seventh at the 2008 US Olympic Trials in the 200-meter freestyle with 1:58.67, 0.51 seconds behind the 6th place finisher, 5th in the 100-meter butterfly with 58.64, and 9th in the 100-meter freestyle with 54.84, 0.03 seconds behind 8th place qualifier Amanda Weir.
2009–2011
On February 25, 2009, she set her first individual American record, breaking Natalie Coughlin's 200-yard freestyle record with a time of 1:41.53.
At the 2009 World Championships in Rome, Italy, Vollmer won two medals, a silver and a bronze. In the 200-meter freestyle, Vollmer set an American record in the semifinal with a time of 1:55.29. In the final of the 200-meter freestyle, Vollmer placed third, and her American record was broken by Allison Schmitt. In the 4×200-meter freestyle relay, Vollmer swam the lead off leg in 1:55.29. The American team finished in second place behind China with a time of 7:42.56.
At the 2011 World Aquatics Championships in Shanghai, Vollmer won a total of three medals, two gold medals and one silver. In her first event, the 4×100-meter freestyle relay, Vollmer won a silver medal with Natalie Coughlin, Jessica Hardy, and Missy Franklin. After setting the national record in the semifinals of the 100-meter butterfly (56.47), Vollmer won the gold medal in the final with a time of 56.87. In the 4×100-meter medley relay, Vollmer the gold medal along with Natalie Coughlin, Rebecca Soni, and Missy Franklin with a time of 3:52.36, better than three seconds ahead of second place finisher China (PRC). Swimming the butterfly leg, Vollmer had a split of 55.74.
The final time of 3:52.36 for the medley relay was the second-fastest mark of all time, just behind the Chinese-held world record of 3:52.19.
2012 Summer Olympic Games
At the 2012 United States Olympic Trials, the U.S. qualifying meet for the Olympics, Vollmer qualified for the U.S. Olympic team for the second time (the first being in 2004) by finishing first in the 100-meter butterfly and third in the 200-meter freestyle. In the final race of the 100-meter butterfly, Vollmer won in a time of 56.50 seconds, better than one second ahead of second-place Claire Donahue. In the semifinal, Vollmer had broken her own American record of 56.47 with her time of 56.42. Vollmer also competed in the 100-meter freestyle, but just missed a spot on the 4×100-meter freestyle relay by finishing seventh (54.61).
At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, she again broke her American record and set an Olympic record with a time of 56.25 seconds in her 100-meter butterfly qualifying heat. In the 100-meter butterfly final, she won the gold medal and set a new world record with her time of 55.98. Vollmer also competed in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay. She swam the second leg with a time of 1:56.02, as the U.S. team won gold with a time of 7:42.94. In her final event, the 4×100-meter medley relay, Vollmer won another gold with Missy Franklin, Rebecca Soni and Allison Schmitt. Swimming the butterfly leg, Vollmer recorded a split time of 55.48, as the U.S. team set a new world record with a time of 3:52.05, bettering the previous record of 3:52.19 set by China in 2009.
Life outside swimming
Vollmer is an ambassador for the American Heart Association's "Go Red for Women" program.
She is married to Andy Grant, a former swimmer for Stanford University. The couple announced they were expecting their first child on October 10, 2014.
Personal best times
Long course
| Event | Time | Venue | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 m butterfly | 25.80 | Charlotte | May 12, 2012 | |
| 100 m butterfly | 55.98 | London | July 29, 2012 | AM, NR, WR |
| 200 m butterfly | 2:09.86 | Indianapolis | March 31, 2012 | |
| 50 m freestyle | 25.09 | Indianapolis | March 4, 2011 | |
| 100 m freestyle | 53.30 | Rome | July 31, 2009 | |
| 200 m freestyle | 1:55.29 | Rome | July 28, 2009 |
Short course
| Event | Time | Venue | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 m butterfly | 25.83 | Dubai | December 16, 2010 | |
| 100 m butterfly | 55.59 | Berlin | October 30, 2010 | NR |
| 100 m freestyle | 52.58 | Dubai | December 16, 2010 |
Medal Record
Woman's Swimming
Competitor for the United States
Woman's Swimming
Competitor for the United States
| Event | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olympic Games | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| World Championships (LC) | 4 | 4 | 2 |
| World Championships (SC) | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Goodwill Games | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Pan Pacific Championships | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Pan American Games | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Universiade | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 19 | 8 | 5 |
Olympic Games
Gold: 2004 Athens - 4x200 m freestyle
Gold: 2012 London - 100 m butterfly
Gold: 2012 London - 4x200 m freestyle
Gold: 2012 London - 4x100 m medley
Silver: 2016 Rio de Janeiro - 4x100 m freestyle
Bronze: 2016 Rio de Janeiro - 100 m butterfly
Silver: 2016 Rio de Janeiro - 4x100 m freestyle
Bronze: 2016 Rio de Janeiro - 100 m butterfly
World Championships (LC)
Gold: 2007 Melbourne - 4x200 m freestyle
Gold: 2011 Shanghai - 100 m butterfly
Gold: 2011 Shanghai - 4x100 m medley
Gold: 2013 Barcelona - 4x100 m medley
Silver: 2007 Melbourne - 4x100 m freestyle
Silver: 2007 Melbourne - 4x100 m medley
Silver: 2009 Rome - 4x200 m freestyle
Silver: 2011 Shanghai - 4x100 m freestyle
Bronze: 2009 Rome - 200 m freestyle
Bronze: 2013 Barcelona - 100 m butterfly
World Championships (SC)
Gold: 2004 Indianapolis - 4x100 m freestyle
Gold: 2004 Indianapolis - 4x200 m freestyle
Silver: 2010 Dubai - 4x100 m freestyle
Silver: 2010 Dubai - 4x100 m medley
Bronze: 2004 Indianapolis - 200 m freestyle
Bronze: 2010 Dubai - 100 m butterfly
Pan Pacific Championships
Gold: 2006 Victoria - 4x200 m freestyle
Gold: 2010 Irvine - 100 m butterfly
Gold: 2010 Irvine - 4x100 m freestyle
Gold: 2010 Irvine - 4x200 m freestyle
Gold: 2010 Irvine - 4x100 m medley
Silver: 2010 Irvine - 100 m freestyle
Pan American Games
Gold: 2003 Sto Domingo - 200 m freestyle
Gold: 2003 Sto Domingo - 4x200 m freestyle
Gold: 2003 Sto Domingo - 4x100 m medley
Universiade
Gold: 2005 Lzmir - 4x100 m freestyle
Silver: 2005 Lzmir - 50 m butterfly
Goodwill Games
Bronze: 2001 Brisbane - 4x100 m medley
No comments:
Post a Comment