James Feigen
James, better known as Jimmy, is an American swimmer who competes in sprint freestyle events. He won a silver medal as a member of the U.S. team in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay at the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London.
Personal Life
Feigen was the third child born to parents, Mike and Beth Feigen, on Sept. 26, 1989 in Hilo, Hawaii. He graduated from Winston Churchill High School in San Antonio, Texas, and swam for the Churchill Chargers High School swim team. Feigen held the high school national record in the 100-yard freestyle (43.05) and the 50-yard freestyle (19.49), and was the Texas UIL Class 5A state champion in the 50-yard freestyle from 2006–08. Feigen earned the National Boys’ High School Swimmer of the Year in 2008 and was recruited to attend the University of Texas located in Austin, Texas.
College Swimming
During his four-year college career as a Texas Longhorn, Feigen earned 17 All-American honors, and won NCAA national championships in the 50-yard freestyle, 100-yard freestyle, and 4×100-yard freestyle relay events in 2012.
In 2008-2009, Feigen’s freshman year, he placed second to Nathan Adrian (18.71) and just ahead of Matt Targett (18.87) at the NCAAs in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 18.84 seconds. In the 100-yard freestyle, Feigen again placed second behind Nathan Adrian (41.08) but ahead of Matt Targett (41.64) with a time of 41.49 seconds. Feigen helped the Longhorn relays to some fantastic finishes, as well. In the 200-yard freestyle relay, Feigen helped the Longhorns achieve fourth place by splitting 18.41 seconds. In the 200-yard medley relay, Feigen split 18.49 to help the Longhorns place fifth, and in the 400-yard freestyle relay, Feigen led off with a split of 41.94 to help the Longhorns to a second place finish.
In 2009-2010, during Feigen’s sophomore campaign, he again showed up strong for the Longhorns. Feigen split 19.11 seconds leading off the 200-yard freestyle relay, helping his team to a third place finish. In the individual 50-yard freestyle, Feigen earned fourth place honors with a time of 19.08, finishing narrowly behind the top trio of Josh Schneider (18.93), Nathan Adrian (19.02) and Adam Brown (19.03). Additionally, Feigen earned a second place finish, behind only Nathan Adrian (41.50) with a time of 41.91 seconds. While anchoring the 400-yard medley relay, Feigen split a 41.81 helping Texas to a fifth place finish. In the 200-yard medley relay, Feigen anchored his team to a third place finish by splitting 18.76 and helped Texas to a second place finish by splitting a 42.01 as the second leg of the 400-yard freestyle relay.
In 2010-2011, Feigen returned strong to the NCAA championships. He placed third in the 50-yard freestyle behind Nathan Adrian (18.66) and Adam Brown (18.72) with a time of 18.97 seconds. In the 100-yard freestyle, Feigen finished second, yet again, to sprint sensation Nathan Adrian (41.10) with a time of 41.66, but this time Feigen out-performed Adam Brown, who took third (41.84). In the 100-yard butterfly, Feigen’s time of 46.38 was good enough for 11th. In the freestyle relays, Feigen led off the 200-yard freestyle relay with a 19.01, helping Texas place sixth, and in the 400-yard freestyle relay, Feigen split a 41.60 to help Texas finish fourth. In the 200-yard and 400-yard medley relays, Feigen helped both relays score second place with times of 18.65 and 41.78, respectively.
In 2011-2012, Feigen finally had his time to shine at the top. In both the 50-yard freestyle (19.01) and the 100-yard freestyle (41.95), Feigen earned his place atop the podium. In the 100-yard butterfly, Feigen swam to a fifth place finish with a time of 46.29 seconds. In the 200-yard freestyle relay, Feigen led off with a time of 19.10 seconds, helping Texas to a fourth place finish. In the 200-yard medley relay, Feigen anchored with a time of 18.63, helping the Longhorns to another fourth place finish, but in the 400-yard medley relay, Feigen anchored the Longhorns to a third place finish (41.64). In the 400-yard freestyle relay, Feigen anchored the championship winning relay with a time of 41.32, earning himself his third victory in his final NCAA Championship Meet.
National and International Swimming
In 2008 Feigen competed at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha, Neb. and placed 28th in the 50-meter freestyle with a time of 22.86 seconds, while also placed 40th in the 100-meter freestyle with a time of 50.34 seconds.
In 2009, Feigen barely missed a spot on the 2009 Shanghai World Aquatics Championships Team when he finished seventh in the 100-meter freestyle (48.46) and fifth in the 50-meter freestyle (21.77) while competing at the USA Swimming National Championships. As a consolation, though, Feigen’s earned a spot on USA Swimming’s National Team in the 50-meter freestyle.
In 2011, Feigen participated in the Summer Universiade, also known as the World University Games, in Shenzhen, China. It was at this competition that Feigen won the first gold medal of his international career, winning the 4×100-meter freestyle relay along with Tim Phillips, Kohlton Norys and Bobby Savulich. Swimming the leadoff leg, Fiegen had a split of 49.27 and the U.S. team won the gold with a time of 3:15.84. In the individual 100-meter freestyle, Feigen won his second international gold medal by posting a time of 49.26 seconds, becoming the first American man to win the event since 1993. In the 4×100-meter medley relay, Fiegen earned his third international medal, a silver, with teammates Rex Tullius swimming backstroke, George Klein swimming breaststroke and Tim Phillips performing the butterfly leg. Fiegen anchored with a split of 49.05 seconds.
2012 London Olympics
In 2012, Feigen returned to Omaha, Neb. to compete at the U.S. Olympic Trials for a chance to represent the Stars and Stripes in London, England. Feigen again swam the 50-meter freestyle and the 100-meter freestyle, making his first U.S. Olympic team by finishing fifth in the 100-meter freestyle with a time of 48.84 seconds. By finishing in the top six of this event, Feigen qualified to swim in the 4×100-meter freestyle as a member of the U.S. relay team. Although his final time was faster than his swim in the heats (49.29), it was significantly slower than what he posted in the semifinals (48.48). In the 50-meter freestyle, Feigen finished fifth with a time of 21.93 seconds.
Once Feigen arrived in London, England for the Olympic Games, he earned a silver medal while swimming with Matt Grevers, Ricky Berens and Jason Lezak in the preliminary heats of the 4×100-meter freestyle relay. Feigen swam the lead off leg and recorded a time of 48.49 seconds.
2013 World Championships
At the 2013 U.S. National Championships, Feigen qualified to swim at the 2013 World Aquatics Championships in Barcelona, Spain by placing second in the 100-meter freestyle to Nathan Adrian (48.10) with a time of 48.24 seconds. Feigen also competed at the U.S. Nationals in the 50-meter freestyle, but failed to qualify for the World Championship Team in this event as he tied for fourth place with a time of 21.88 seconds.
In his first event at the World Championships, Feigen combined with Nathan Adrian, Ryan Lochte and Anthony Ervin in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay to finish second behind France. Swimming the anchor leg, Feigen recorded a split of 48.23, and the team finished with a final time of 3:11.44. Individually, Feigen advanced to the 100-meter freestyle final as the second seed by posting a time of 48.07 seconds in the semifinals, and he held onto his position for the silver by posting a personal best time of 47.82 seconds in the final. Feigen’s time was only 0.11 seconds behind Australian winner James Magnussen, but was .02 seconds quicker than U.S. teammate, Nathan Adrian, who took home the bronze medal. This swim marks Feigen’s first time breaking 48 seconds in the event.
Duel in the Pool
Later in 2013, Feigen was selected to compete for Team USA in the Duel in the Pool Classic, which pits a collection of America’s top swimmers against a conglomeration of Europe’s fastest swimmers in a short course meters competition. Feigen represented USA in the 100-meter freestyle, placing fourth with a time of 47.41 seconds, finishing behind fellow American Anthony Ervin who finished in third with a time of 47.36 seconds. Frenchman Yannick Agnel won the event with a time of 47.13 seconds while his English teammate, Adam Brown, finished in second with a time of 47.24 seconds. In his next event, Feigen’s freestyle leg helped Team USA touch the wall ahead of the Europeans by over two seconds with a time of 3:23.24. On day two, Feigen swam the 50-meter freestyle and claimed gold with a speedy time of 21.20 seconds, just ahead of American compatriots Ervin (21.27) and Cullen Jones (21.27), who tied for second place just ahead of Brown (21.40). Asked to compete one final time in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay, Feigen led USA off with a strong leg and set the tone for the team as they piled it on against a very strong European squad, ultimately winning with an overall time of 3:06.66. Team USA won the meet by one point, 132-131, after an exciting mixed relay event was won by Feigen’s American teammates.
At the 2014 U.S. Nationals Feigen pulled off a roster spot for the 2014 Pan Pacific Championships, when he finished third in the 100-meter freestyle. Later that year he competed at the 2014 World Short Course Championships as a member of the U.S. relay squads–As a TYR athlete he wound up wining three international medals as a relay swimmer. In 2015 he competed at the Bill Nixon Memorial Swim Meet, picking up a win in the 50-meter freestyle.
2016 U.S Olympic Trials
Feigen had a repeat performance in the 100 meter freestyle from four years ago, securing a spot on the 400 meter freestyle relay in Rio with another a 5th place finish.
2016 Rio Olympics
Feigen led off for Team USA in the heats of the 4×100 meter freestyle relay. He came in second for Ryan Held to take over. Blake Pieroni and Anthony Ervin finished out the heat swim for Team USA to qualify first for the final. Caeleb Dressel, Michael Phelps, Ryan Held and Nathan Adrian went on to take the gold in 3:09.92.
After the racing in Rio wrapped up, Feigen’s celebrations with his teammate’s, Ryan Lochte, Gunnar Bentz and Jack Cogner, landed them in some trouble with the Brazilian police. After a night out in Rio, Lochte claimed their taxi was pulled over by people pretending to be police then a gun was pointed to his head and their money was stolen. It later came out that the swimmers vandalized a gas station and it was the security guards who pulled out their guns to demand money for the damages.
Feigen was the last to make an official statement where he apologized for omitting information in his initial police report. He admitted to urinating on the grass behind the gas station because the bathroom door was locked, a fact that he didn’t mention in the first report. Feigen reached a deal with the Brazilian authorities to pay a fine for the release of his passport.
Originally developed by Doug Lennox II
