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Anthony Ervin

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Anthony Ervin
Morozov and Ervin in Kazan 2015
Personal information
Full nameAnthony Lee Ervin
Nickname"Tony"
National team United States
Born (1981-05-26) May 26, 1981 (age 43)
Valencia, California
Height6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight175 lb (79 kg)
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesFreestyle
College teamUniversity of California, Berkeley
Medal record
Men's swimming
Representing  United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2000 Sydney 50 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2016 Rio de Janeiro 50 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2016 Rio de Janeiro 4×100 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 2000 Sydney 4×100 m freestyle
World Championships (LC)
Gold medal – first place 2001 Fukuoka 50 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2001 Fukuoka 100 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 2013 Barcelona 4×100 m freestyle
World Championships (SC)
Gold medal – first place 2012 Istanbul 4×100 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2012 Istanbul 4×100 m medley
Bronze medal – third place 2012 Istanbul 50 m freestyle
Pan Pacific Championships
Silver medal – second place 2002 Yokohama 50 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 2002 Yokohama 4×100 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 2014 Gold Coast 50 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 2014 Gold Coast 4×100 m freestyle

Anthony Lee Ervin (born May 26, 1981) is an American competition swimmer who has won four Olympic medals and two World Championship golds. At the 2000 Summer Olympics, he won a gold medal in the men's 50-meter freestyle, and earned a silver medal as a member of the second-place U.S. relay team in the 4×100-meter freestyle event. He was the first swimmer of African descent to medal in Olympic swimming.[1]

Ervin stopped swimming competitively at the age of 22 in 2003[2] and auctioned off his 2000 Olympic gold medal on eBay to aid survivors of the 2004 tsunami,[3][4][5] but he began to train again in 2011.[4]

Ervin competed in the 50-meter freestyle event at the 2012 Summer Olympics where he placed fifth.[6] At the 2016 Summer Olympics, he won the gold medal in the event for the second time.

Personal life

Ervin is African-American, Native-American and Jewish,[7][8][9][10] and was born in Hollywood. He is of Ashkenazi Jewish descent on his mother's side, and of African-American and Native American descent on his father's. He was raised in Valencia, California.[4][11][12][13] Ervin has described himself as a "practicing Zen Buddhist".[14]

While living in Santa Clarita, he swam for Canyons Aquatic Club, and also competed on the Hart High School's swim team in Newhall, California.[15] Anthony enrolled in the University of California, Berkeley, where he received his bachelor's degree in English in 2010.[16]

He is currently pursuing a graduate degree in sport, culture and education at Cal.[4]

International career

2000: Sydney Summer Olympic Games

See also: Swimming at the 2000 Summer Olympics

At the 2000 United States Olympic Trials in Indianapolis, Ervin competed in two events: the 50-meter and 100-meter freestyle. In the final of the 100-meter freestyle, Ervin finished fifth with a time of 49.29, ensuring him a spot on the 4×100-meter freestyle relay.[17] In the final of the 50-meter freestyle, Ervin finished tied for first place with Gary Hall Jr. with a time of 21.80.[18]

At the 2000 Summer Olympics, Ervin won one gold and one silver medal. In his first final, the 4×100-meter freestyle relay, Ervin teamed up with Gary Hall Jr., Neil Walker and Jason Lezak. Going into the final, the Americans had never lost the event at the Olympics. Ervin swam the leadoff leg in 48.89, the second best lead-off behind Michael Klim's world record time of 48.18. The American team ended up finishing in second place with a time of 3:13.86 behind Australia, who finished in a world record time of 3:13.67.[19] In the final of the 50-meter freestyle, Ervin tied Gary Hall Jr. for the gold with a time of 21.98.[20]

After the gold medal race, reporter Jim Gray asked Ervin what it felt like to be the first swimmer of African American descent to win gold. Referring to this moment in a 2012 interview, Ervin stated, "I didn't know a thing about what it was like to be part of the black experience. But now I do. It's like winning gold and having a bunch of old white people ask you what it's like to be black. That is my black experience."[21]

2001–2003: World Championships and Pan Pacs

Ervin won two gold medals at the 2001 World Aquatics Championships in the 50-meter freestyle[22] and the 100-meter freestyle.[23] He also competed in the 4 x 100 freestyle relay, but the U.S. relay team was disqualified.[24] At the 2002 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships Ervin won silver medals in both the 50-meter freestyle and the 4 x 100 freestyle relay.

2012: Comeback and Summer Olympics

See also: Swimming at the 2012 Summer Olympics

Twelve years after competing in his last Olympics as a 19-year-old, Ervin qualified for his second U.S. Olympic team as a 31-year-old at the 2012 United States Olympic Trials in Omaha, Nebraska, by finishing second in the men's 50-meter freestyle. His time of 21.60 seconds was only one one-hundredth (0.01) of a second behind Cullen Jones (21.59) and also a personal best for Ervin.[25][26] At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, he finished fifth in the finals of the 50-meter freestyle with a time of 21.78 seconds.[27]

2013–14: World Championships and Pan Pacs

See also: Swimming at the 2013 World Aquatics Championships

At the 2013 US National Championships, Ervin qualified to swim at the 2013 World Aquatics Championships in Barcelona by placing second in the 50-meter freestyle with a time of 21.70, and third in the 100-meter freestyle with a time of 48.49.

In his first event at the World Championships, Ervin combined with Nathan Adrian, Ryan Lochte and Jimmy Feigen in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay, with the team finishing behind France. Swimming the third leg, Ervin recorded a split of 47.44, and the team finished with a final time of 3:11.44. Ervin's split was the fastest among the Americans.

In his only individual event, the 50-meter freestyle, Ervin entered the final as the second seed with a semi-final time of 21.42, a personal best for him and only 2-hundredths of a second behind the American record. In the final, Ervin finished in 6th place with a time of 21.65.

In 2014, on the Gold Coast, Ervin collected 2 silver medals at the Pan Pacs.

2016 Olympics

In the 2016 Olympics, Ervin swam the 50 m freestyle, placing 1st in the final with a time of 21.40 seconds. At the age of 35, this made him the oldest individual Olympic gold medal winner in swimming, taking the record from Michael Phelps.[28]

See also

References

  1. ^ http://www.ishof.org/black_history/trailblazers.htm[dead link]
  2. ^ Barry Kelly (July 6, 2004). "Olympic Gold Medalist Anthony Ervin Gives Up Swimming, Fame and Money". The Daily Californian. Retrieved July 1, 2012. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)[dead link]
  3. ^ Erik Brady (June 27, 2012). "Anthony Ervin has no regrets, feels lucky to be at trials". USA Today. Retrieved July 1, 2012. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  4. ^ a b c d Pat Borzi (June 28, 2012). "Spreading Joy of Swimming, Ex-Olympian Finds It Again". The New York Times. Retrieved July 1, 2012. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  5. ^ Paul Newberry (May 18, 2012). "Ervin, Swimming's Mystery Man, Returns to the Pool". Associated Press. Retrieved July 1, 2012.[dead link]
  6. ^ Associated Press (July 1, 2012). "Anthony Ervin has no regrets, feels lucky to be at trials". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 1, 2012. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  7. ^ "The Jewish Week – Connecting the World to Jewish News, Culture, and Opinion". The Jewish Week.
  8. ^ "Jewish Olympian Anthony Ervin Gets Closer to 2nd Gold in 50M Freestyle". Algemeiner.com.
  9. ^ "Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame Home". scjewishsportshof.com.
  10. ^ "Jews and the Olympic Games". google.com.
  11. ^ "Interfaith Celebrities: Olympic Update". interfaithfamily.com.
  12. ^ Taylor, Paul (2004). Jews and the Olympic Games: The Clash Between Sport and Politics : with a Complete Review of Jewish Olympic Medallists. Sussex Academic Press. ISBN 9781903900871.
  13. ^ Lisa Dillman (August 14, 2000). "Winning Isn't Only Thing in Men's 100 Freestyle". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 1, 2012. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  14. ^ http://www.bobschaller.com/SplashIrv.pdf
  15. ^ MaNishtana (February 14, 2011). "Today in Black Jewish History Month, Anthony Ervin". manishtana.net. Retrieved July 2, 2012. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  16. ^ John Crumpacker (June 27, 2012). "Anthony Ervin back in swimming after decade off". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved July 1, 2012. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  17. ^ "2000 US Olympic Team Trials – Men's 100 m freestyle results (final)" (PDF). Omega Timing. Retrieved July 1, 2010.[dead link]
  18. ^ "2000 US Olympic Team Trials – Men's 50 m freestyle results (final)" (PDF). Omega Timing. Retrieved July 1, 2010.[dead link]
  19. ^ "2000 Sydney Olympic Games – Men's 4x100 m freestyle relay results (final)" (PDF). Omega Timing. Retrieved July 1, 2010.[dead link]
  20. ^ "2000 Sydney Olympic Games – Men's 50 m freestyle results (final)" (PDF). Omega Timing. Retrieved July 1, 2010.[dead link]
  21. ^ "Olympics 2012: Gold Medal Swimmer Anthony Ervin Is Out to Reclaim His Title". Rolling Stone.
  22. ^ "FINA: 9th World Championships 50m". swimrankings.net. Retrieved August 5, 2012.
  23. ^ "FINA: 9th World Championships 100m". swimrankings.net. Retrieved August 5, 2012.
  24. ^ "FINA: 9th World Championships 4X100 freestyle". swimrankings.net. Retrieved August 5, 2012.
  25. ^ USA Swimming (July 1, 2012). "2012 U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM ROSTER". USA Swimming. Retrieved July 1, 2012. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  26. ^ Associated Press (July 1, 2012). "He's baaack: Anthony Ervin going back to Olympics after finishing 2nd in 50 free at US trials". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 1, 2012. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  27. ^ "Swimming results". NBC Olympics Coverage. Retrieved August 3, 2012.
  28. ^ Gibbs, Robert (August 12, 2016). "Ervin passes Phelps to become oldest swimmer to win solo gold". Swimswam. Retrieved August 13, 2016.
Records
Preceded by Men's 50-meter freestyle
world record-holder (short course)
March 23, 2000 – January 28, 2001 		Succeeded by
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