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Anthony Nesty

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Anthony Nesty
Personal information
Full nameAnthony Conrad Nesty
National teamSuriname
Born (1967-11-25) November 25, 1967 (age 56)
Trinidad and Tobago
Height5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight172 lb (78 kg)
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesButterfly
College teamUniversity of Florida (U.S.)
Medal record
Men's swimming
Representing  Suriname
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1988 Seoul 100 m butterfly
Bronze medal – third place 1992 Barcelona 100 m butterfly
World Championships (LC)
Gold medal – first place 1991 Perth 100 m butterfly
Pan Pacific Championships
Gold medal – first place 1989 Tokyo 100 m butterfly
Pan American Games
Gold medal – first place 1987 Indianapolis 100 m butterfly
Gold medal – first place 1991 Havana 100 m butterfly
Silver medal – second place 1991 Havana 200 m butterfly
Bronze medal – third place 1987 Indianapolis 200 m butterfly

Anthony Conrad Nesty (born November 25, 1967) is a former competition swimmer from Suriname who was an Olympic gold medalist in the 100-metre butterfly event in 1988. He is currently the head coach of the Florida Gators men's swim team at the University of Florida, where he attended school.[1]

Early years

Anthony Nesty was born in Trinidad in 1967,[2] the youngest of five children in his family. Nesty's family migrated to Suriname when he was seven months old, and he started swimming at the age of 5. Nesty trained and competed in Suriname and the Caribbean through the beginning of his teenage years. He represented Suriname along with his sister, Pauline, at the 1983 Pan American Games.[3] After placing twenty-first in the 100-metre butterfly at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, Nesty enrolled in The Bolles School in Jacksonville, Florida, a prep school with an athletic program known for training elite, world-class swimmers. While training under Bolles coach Gregg Troy, Nesty broke the prep school 100-yard butterfly record held by Pablo Morales.[4] Breaking Morales's record was the beginning of prominent successes for Nesty. He graduated from the Bolles School in 1987.[5]

International swimming career

Nesty returned to international competition at the 1987 Pan-American Games in Indianapolis, Indiana, winning a gold medal in the 100-metre butterfly and a bronze medal in the 200-metre butterfly.[4]

At the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, Korea, Nesty edged American favorite Matt Biondi by one one-hundredth of a second to win the 100-metre butterfly; he finished the event in 53.00 seconds and Biondi in 53.01.[2] Nesty is the only Olympic medal winner from Suriname and after winning his Olympic gold medal, he was unbeaten in the 100-metre butterfly event for three years. Nesty was the second black athlete to win an individual Olympic medal in swimming following Enith Brigitha at the 1976 Summer Olympics, and only the second South American swimmer to win an Olympic gold medal after Alberto Zorrilla in the 1928 Summer Olympics.

Nesty's victory in Seoul was a momentous social and political event for Afro-Caribbeans. The Suriname government commemorated his gold-medal performance on a stamp and on gold and silver coins. A 25-guilders bank note portraying an illustration of a butterfly swimmer was printed in his honor. Surinam Airways named one of its planes after Nesty (this plane was destroyed in an accident while operating as Surinam Airways Flight 764)[6], and the indoor stadium in Paramaribo was renamed for him.

Nesty won gold medals in the 100-metre butterfly at the Goodwill Games in 1990 and the FINA World Aquatics Championships in 1991. At the 1991 Pan-American Games in Havana, Cuba, he again won a gold medal in 100-metre butterfly and a silver in the 200-metre butterfly.[4] He attempted to defend his 1988 Olympic gold medal in the 100-metre butterfly at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, but finished with a third-place bronze.[2]

College swimming career

After winning his gold medal in Seoul, Nesty accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he enjoyed a successful swimming career with the Florida Gators swimming and diving team under coach Randy Reese and coach Skip Foster from 1989 to 1992. During his four years of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) competition, he won three consecutive NCAA individual championships in the 100-yard butterfly (1990, 1991, 1992), one in the 200-yard butterfly (1990), and one as a member of the team's 400-yard medley relay team (1991), and received sixteen All-American honors. Nesty also won eleven Southeastern Conference (SEC) titles—five in individual races and six as a member of Gators relay teams.[7]

Nesty graduated from the University of Florida with his bachelor's degree in 1994.[8]

Life after competition swimming

Nesty was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) as an "Honor Swimmer" in 1998,[4] and the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 2002.[9][10]

In the mid 1990s, Anthony returned to the Bolles School as a member of the swim coaching staff.

He was the associate head coach for the Florida Gators men's swimming team.[8]

As of June 4, 2018, he is the head coach for the Florida Gators men's swimming teams.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Anthony Nesty - Men's Swimming & Diving Coach". floridagators.com. University of Florida. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  2. ^ a b c Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Anthony Nesty. Retrieved June 4, 2011.
  3. ^ Stutgard, Ricky W. (1990) De eerste Surinaamse sportencyclopedie (1893–1988). Alberga, Paramaribo. ISBN 9991494936. p. 137
  4. ^ a b c d International Swimming Hall of Fame, Honorees, Anthony Nesty (SUR) Archived November 24, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved July 23, 2011.
  5. ^ The Bolles School, Athletics, Bolles Olympic Medalists Archived 2015-07-07 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
  6. ^ https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19890607-2
  7. ^ UF Swimming & Diving 2009–2010 Media Guide, Gator History & Records Archived 2011-07-11 at the Wayback Machine, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 88–89, 90, 92–93, 96–97, 99, 102–105, 107, 117 (2009). Retrieved June 4, 2011.
  8. ^ a b GatorZone.com, Swimming & Diving Coaches, Anthony Nesty Archived April 2, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 4, 2011.
  9. ^ F Club, Hall of Fame, Gator Greats. Retrieved December 15, 2014.
  10. ^ "Nine Former Gators Named to UF Hall of Fame Archived 2015-09-24 at the Wayback Machine," GatorZone.com (April 4, 2002). Retrieved July 21, 2011.
Olympic Games
Preceded by Flagbearer for  Suriname
Seoul 1988 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Flagbearer for  Suriname
Beijing 2008 		Succeeded by
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