Randall Bal
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 Bal in 2008 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Randall Bal | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname | Turbo | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team |  United States | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | November 14, 1980 Fair Oaks, California, U.S. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 195 lb (88 kg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Sport | Swimming | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Strokes | Backstroke | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College team | Stanford University | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Randall Bal (born November 14, 1980) is an American swimmer who specialized in the backstroke. He is a former world record holder in the 50-meter backstroke (long and short course).[1]
He has won a total of thirteen medals in major international competition,[1] five golds, six silvers, and two bronze spanning the World Championships, the Pan American Games, and the Pan Pacific Championships.[2]
Personal
Bal was born in Fair Oaks, California in 1980, the son of Adrian and Carol Bal. His younger sister, Tamara, swam at UCLA. Bal attended Bella Vista High School where he graduated in 1999. From there, he swam for Stanford University, class of 2003, and graduated with a degree in psychology.
Swimming career
At the 2008 FINA Short Course World Championships in Manchester, he took the silver medal in the 100 Back, but he finished a surprising sixth (his PB would have won the event) in the 50 Back. He won another silver on the medley relay. He was the top qualifier in the 100 Back at the 2008 Olympic Trials, in both the preliminaries and semi-finals, with the then-third fastest time ever in the semis (53.09), but he faded to fourth in the finals,[1] finishing behind Aaron Peirsol, who set a new World Record of 52.89, Matt Grevers, and Ryan Lochte.[3] In 2008 Randall broke both the World Record (24.33 LCM & 22.87 SCM) in the 50 backstroke and missed the 100 LCM backstroke World Record by .04 of a second. He is currently training in northern California.
See also
- List of Pan American Games records in swimming
- List of Stanford University people
- List of World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming (men)
- World record progression 50 metres backstroke
References
- ^ a b c Tillotson, Jason (17 October 2016). "The Little-Known Legend of Randall Bal and Hayley McGregory". Swimming World News. Sports Publications, Inc. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
- ^ "Randall BAL | Results | FINA Official". FINA - Fédération Internationale De Natation. Retrieved 2021-10-22.
- ^ "Peirsol and Coughlin break two backstroke records". France 24. 2 July 2008. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
External links
- Randall Bal at USA Swimming (archived)
- Randall Bal at World Aquatics
- Randall Bal – Stanford University athlete bio at the Wayback Machine (archived August 10, 2011)
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- 1980 births
- Living people
- Latter Day Saints from California
- American male backstroke swimmers
- American male freestyle swimmers
- World record setters in swimming
- People from Fair Oaks, California
- Stanford Cardinal men's swimmers
- Swimmers at the 2007 Pan American Games
- World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming
- Medalists at the FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m)
- Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States
- Pan American Games medalists in swimming
- Medalists at the 2007 Pan American Games
- 20th-century American people
- 21st-century American people