On SwimSwam Podcast, we’re giving you an in-depth listen at all things swimming. Host Coleman Hodges welcomes guests and guest co-hosts alike to get perspective on our ever-changing swimming universe and break down the past, present, and future of aquatic sports.
We sat down with Jenny Thompson, the most decorated female Olympic swimmer in history with 8 golds, 3 silver, and 1 bronze for a total of 12. Jenny was kind enough to sit down with us and talk through her career, the high and low points, and give us some insight on how her 12 medals were earned.
Jenny walks us through all of her Olympic games and everything in between. Attending Stanford and swimming for Richard Quick after the ’92 Games. Going pro after the ’96 Games. Thinking that she was retiring and going to medical school after the ’00 Games, only to come back to it after her mother died. And finally ending it with the ’04 Games, where she earned #11 and 12.
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Music: Otis McDonald
www.otismacmusic.com
RECENT EPISODES
What will be covered in the director’s cut of Thompson’s story- her journey to NYAC, where she found the love of racing again. Quietly whispered, but never confirmed, it was a post sr mets night at Brother Jimmy’s, NOT the spout room, where she ultimately decided to go all in on the sport
I mean if you’re a top freestyle swimmer for USA, you’re already guarantee multiple relay Olympics medals.
I remember when she broke MTM’s 18-yr old 100m fly record in 1999 by .05 of a second. I don’t think it was even a major meet, in Sydney, and she’d gone there pretty much alone of the US team members. It was kind of out of the blue, and she was as shocked as everybody else. Then 10 months later deBruin broke it by more than a second. Lots of chatter over that one.
I went down to Stanford in both 1999 and 2000 for masters summer swim camps. We’d get there early-to-mid morning & Thompson would sometimes still be out in the diving pool, post AM practice, trying out different styles of freestyle. She was playing with… Read more »
Recently watched the Athens relays- was amazing to see Thompson passed with ease by Henry and Thomas…
Mike Parratto has been a world class coach for decades.
Zhuang Yong wasn’t exactly unknown when she beat Jenny in 1992 – she had won the silver medal in the 100 free in 1988 – but she was definitely the product of a doping system engineered by East German sports scientists at the behest of China. They were absolutely nowhere in world swimming rankings in 1984, started getting assistance from the East Germans sometime around 85-86, didn’t have a single finalist or consol finalist at 1986 Worlds and somehow by the end of 1988, they had three Olympic silvers and a bronze in women’s swimming. In 1992, three of those 1988 swimmers won individual gold medals (Zhuang Yong, Yang Wenyi, and Qian Hong), plus another individual gold in world record… Read more »
I actually agree with the #62 ranking of Thompson from the now-defunct 1999 poll about which she awkwardly complains, but she would actually be lower now. You can asterisk all day long about 1992 but the fact remains that both J. Thompson and D. Torres had multiple opportunities across multiple Olympics other than 1992 to win individual event gold(s), and they did not.
Looking forward to the story of your individual Olympic gold.
“Most decorated female Olympic swimmer in history”
And you what to take knocks at her?
I can tell you how she won her medals. Her mental strength was stronger than steel. A great person to learn from if you have goals and dreams.
Mental strength and competitive drive, yes for sure. But too simplistic to overlook the elements of physicality and nutrition that admittedly played a role for both Thompson and Torres. Would refer you to August 2000 article by journalist Amy Shipley entitled “U.S. Swimmers Discuss Use of Diet Supplements” in which Thompson and Torres and others are interviewed and openly discuss the extensive program of creatine and 25 daily supplements used by Thompson and Torres leading into Olympics.
Glad someone said it.
Most elite athletes are doping. Through TUEs and supplements and the arbitrary lines of the World Anti-Doping Code, some are doping within the rules and others are doping beyond the rules, but most elite athletes are doping.
We forget how innovative just proper nutrition and even cross training was back then. We’re not to far removed from weight training being frowned upon because people thought weights would reduce flexibility. What I’m having trouble saying is there’s a big difference between Creatine and crossing the line. The article shows they were trying to achieve peak performance and had nothing to hide in a time where being strong, let alone a strong woman was unusual and, for some reason, article worthy.