From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jason Edward Lezak (born November 12, 1975) is an American Olympic swimmer.
He formerly swam for Irvine Novaquatics. He graduated from Irvine High School in 1994, and then from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1999. He is a member of the Rose Bowl Aquatics swim club. The head coach, Jeff Julian, is a good friend.
He is 193 cm (6 ft 4 in) tall and weighs 93 kg (205 pounds). Lezak is a specialist in the 50 and 100 m freestyle races. He also owns long-course world records in the 400m freestyle and medley relays, as well a former American record holder in the 100 Free. Lezak is one of the few elite swimmers not to have a personal coach. Despite this, Lezak enjoys team sports and fellow American Gary Hall Jr. has dubbed Lezak as a "professional relay swimmer" at the 2004 Olympic Trials before their matchup in the 100m freestyle. [8][9]
[edit] Personal life
Lezak was born in Irvine, California. Lezak pronounced Leh-Zhock(short e), means lounge/lawn chair in Polish. Lezak attended El Camino Real Elementary School, which is now known as Woodbury Elementary. Jason currently lives in Irvine, California, his hometown, with his wife, Danielle.
[edit] Career
Lezak's first long-course international swimming gold medal was in 2000, when he was part of the 4×100 m medley relay in the Olympics in Sydney. He also won a silver medal in the 4×100 m freestyle relay. In short-course competitions he won five world championships, four relays plus a gold in the 100 m freestyle in 2004. Lezak has also won 7 US Championships, three times in the 50 m freestyle and four in the 100 m freestyle.
[edit] 2004 Athens Summer Olympic Games
He competed in several events at the 2004 Olympic Games, and was a member of the 4x100 metre medley relay team that set a new world record at the games. He also won a bronze medal in the 4×100 m freestyle relay and finished fifth in the 50 m freestyle single race.
[edit] 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic Games
At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Lezak was the oldest male on the U.S. swim team. He anchored the U.S. 4×100 meter freestyle relay team that won the gold medal and set a new world record. In the final 25 meters, Lezak overtook French team anchor Alain Bernard (the world record holder in the 100m freestyle going into the relay) to win gold despite Bernard having nearly a full body length's advantage when Lezak started his leg and half a body length with 25 meters from the end. Lezak split a 46.06, the fastest 100 meter freestyle split in history, by nearly six tenths of a second. Rowdy Gaines commented shortly after the race that "that might be the most incredible relay split I've ever seen in my entire life." The final time of the American team was 3:08:24, which was 3.99 seconds faster than the previous world record. France finished second at 3:08.32, eight hundredths of a second behind—the closest finish in the event's history. The victory came only days after Bernard had issued inflammatory statements, stating that his team would "smash" the United States team in the race. This was a crucial race for Michael Phelps, for he needed it to complete the amazing goal of winning eight gold medals in a single Olympic Games, which would break Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals at the Munich Games in 1972. [15]
| “ |
The United States trying to hang on to second, they should get the silver medal, Australia is in Bronze territory right now, BUT LEZAK IS CLOSING A LITTLE BIT ON BERNARD, can the veteran chase him down and pull off a shocker here? There's no doubt that he's tightening up. Bernard is losing some ground, here comes Lezak... UNBELIEVABLE AT THE END, HE'S DONE IT! THE U.S. HAS DONE IT! HE DID IT! HE DID IT! Phelps's hopes [are] alive! |
” |
Lezak tied for bronze, his first medal in an individual Olympic event, with Brazilian swimmer César Cielo Filho in the 100 m freestyle with a time of 47.67. He anchored the 4 x 100 metre medley relay to give Team USA the title, which was also Phelps's record-setting eighth gold medal of the Beijing Games.
Following the 2008 Olympic Games, Lezak appeared as a guest on The Today Show, The Ellen Degeneres Show, Late Night with Conan O'Brien[16], and ESPN's Jim Rome is Burning.
[edit] Future Competition
Lezak hopes to compete in the 2012 Olympic Games, if his finances permit him to continue training. His endorsement contract with Nike expired and was not renewed after the sportswear company decided to pull out of the competitive swimming market. Despite Lezak's Olympic successes, he says he does not expect to get any more sponsorships.[17][18]
Lezak will forego the 2009 World Aquatics Championships to compete in the 18th Maccabiah Games in Israel from July 12-29[19] [20] Lezak declared in Jerusalem on July 5, 2009 that "he would skip the world championships and instead compete in Israel's Maccabiah Games in tribute to his Jewish heritage." He added: "I came here to swim fast and hopefully bring home some gold medals for the USA. In a surprise move by the organizers, Lezak was given the honour of lighting the Maccabiah torch at the Opening Ceremony.
[edit] Personal bests
His personal bests (long-course) are:
- 50 m freestyle: 21.90
- 100 m freestyle: 47.58 (former American Record)
- 100 m freestyle relay split 46.06 (fastest relay split ever, although FINA does not recognize world records for relay splits, unless they were in the opening leg, because only the opening leg is done from a stationary start, whereas later swimmers can lean over in the process of diving as the preceding swimmer is coming in)
[edit] References
[edit] External links
|
Olympic Champions in Men's 4×100 m Freestyle Relay |
|
1964: USA (Clark, Austin, Ilman, Schollander) | 1968: USA (Zorn, Rerych, Spitz, Walsh) | 1972: USA (Edgar, Murphy, Heidenreich, Spitz) | 1984: USA (Cavanaugh, Heath, Biondi, Gaines) | 1988: USA (Jacobs, Dalbey, Jager, Biondi) | 1992: USA (Hudepohl, Biondi, Jager, Olsen) | 1996: USA (Olsen, Davis, Schumacher, Hall, Jr.) | 2000: Australia (Klim, Fydler, Callus, Thorpe) | 2004: South Africa (Schoeman, Ferns, Townsend, Neethling) | 2008: USA (Phelps, Weber-Gale, Jones, Lezak)
|
|
|
Olympic Champions in Men's 4×100 m Medley Relay |
|
1960 USA (McKinney, Hait, Larson, Farrell) | 1964 USA (Mann, Craig, Schmidt, Clark) | 1968 USA (Hickcox, McKenzie, Russell, Walsh) | 1972 USA (Stamm, Bruce, Spitz, Heidenreich) | 1976 USA (Naber, Hencken, Vogel, Montgomery) | 1980 Australia (Kerry, Evans, Tonelli, Brooks) | 1984 USA (Carey, Lundquist, Morales, Gaines) | 1988 USA (Berkoff, Schroeder, Biondi, Jacobs) | 1992 USA (Rouse, Diebel, Morales, Olsen) | 1996 USA (Rouse, Linn, Henderson, Hall, Jr.) | 2000 USA (Krayzelburg, Moses, Crocker, Hall, Jr.) | 2004 USA (Peirsol, Hansen, Crocker, Lezak) | 2008 USA (Peirsol, Hansen, Phelps, Lezak)
|
|
|
World Short Course Champions in Men's 4×100 m Freestyle Relay |
|
1993: Brazil (Scherer, Ferreira, Souza, Borges) · 1995: Brazil (Scherer, Massura, Cordeiro, Borges) · 1997: Germany (Conrad, Tröger, Lüderitz, Heilmann) · 1999: Australia (Fydler, Pearson, Thorpe, Klim) · 2000: Sweden (Nyström, Frölander, Ohlin, Nystrand) · 2002: United States (Tucker, Marshall, Lezak, Keller) · 2004: United States (Brunelli, Walker, Dusing, Lezak) · 2006: Italy (Calvi, Lanzarini, Galenda, Magnini) · 2008: United States (Lochte, Lundquist, Adrian, Van Wie)
|
|
|
World Short Course Champions in Men's 4×100 m Medley Relay |
|
1993: United States (Schwenk, Wunderlich, Henderson, Olsen) • 1995: New Zealand (Winter, Kent, Callaghan, Bray) • 1997: Australia (Radley, Rogers, Huegill, Klim) • 1999: Australia (Welsh, Rogers, Klim, Fydler) • 2000: United States (Krayzelburg, Marrs, Walker, Tucker) • 2002: United States (Peirsol, Denniston, Marshall, Lezak) • 2004: United States (Peirsol, Hansen, Crocker, Lezak) • 2006: Australia (Welsh, Rickard, Pine, Callus) • 2008: Russia (Donets, Geybel, Korotyshkin, Sukhorukov)
|
|
|
Pan Pacific Champions in Men's 4×100 m Freestyle Relay |
|
1985: USA (McCadam, Heath, Wallace, Biondi) • 1987: USA (Jacobs, Oppel, Dalbey, Biondi) • 1989: USA (Lang, Olsen, Gjertsen, Jager) • 1991: USA (Jordan, Jager, Olsen, Biondi) • 1993: USA (Hudepohl, Pepper, Fox, Olsen) • 1995: USA (Fox, Hudepohl, Olsen, Hall) • 1997: USA (Tucker, Schumacher, Olsen, Walker) • 1999: AUS (Klim, English, Fydler, Thorpe) • 2002: AUS (Callus, Pearson, Hackett, Thorpe) • 2006: USA (Phelps, Walker, Jones, Lezak)
|
|
|
Pan Pacific Champions in Men's 4×100 m Medley Relay |
|
1985: USA (Carey, Moffet, Morales, Biondi) • 1987: USA (Veatch, Schroeder, Morales, Biondi) • 1989: USA (Rouse, Korhammer, Morales, Biondi) • 1991: USA (Rouse, Barrowman, Henderson, Biondi) • 1993: USA (Rouse, Van Neerden, Henderson, Olsen) • 1995: USA (Rouse, Wunderlich, Henderson, Hall) • 1997: USA (Krayzelburg, Grote, Dusing, Walker) • 1999: USA (Krayzelburg, Grote, Wales, Walker) • 2002: USA (Peirsol, Hansen, Phelps, Lezak) • 2006: USA (Peirsol, Hansen, Crocker, Lezak)
|
|
|
Summer Universiade Champions in Men's 4×100 m Freestyle Relay |
|
1959: Great Britain: Unknown • 1961: Japan: Unknown • 1963: Japan: Unknown • 1965: USA: (Roth, Saari, Dilley, Ilman) • 1967: USA: (Walsh, Havens, Charlton, Zorn) • 1970: USA: (Havens, McConica, O'Mallay, Heckl) • 1973: USA: (Elliot, Tietre, Anderson, Knox) • 1977: USA: (Coan, Lambert, Curington, Ebuna) • 1979: Not Held • 1981: USA: (Spencer, Schmidt, Goodridge, Kirschner) • 1983: Soviet Union: • 1985: USA: (McCadam, Born, Oppel, Biondi) • 1987: USA: (Hansen, Kerska, Williams, Thomas) • 1991: USA: (Anderson, Davis, Hansen, Towne) • 1993: USA: (Kurza, Pepper, Picotte, Fox) • 1995: USA: (Schumacher, Tucker, Gumbril, Davis) • 1997: USA: (Newman, Esway, Lezak, Jones) • 1999: Australia: (Goudie, Upton, Wyllie, Pine) • 2001: Great Britain: (Kidd, Scotcher, Cozens, Belk) • 2003: Great Britain: (Cozens, Scotcher, Davenport, Kidd) • 2005: France: (Galavtine, Bodet, Madelaine, Bernard) • 2007: USA: (McGinnis, Grevers, Lundquist, Ritter) • 2009: USA: (Copeland, Brady, Mcginnis, Robison)
|
|
