Claudia Kolb
Encyclopedia
Claudia Ann Kolb is a retired breaststroke
and medley
swimmer from the United States
, who won her first Olympic medal at the 1964 Summer Olympics
when she was fourteen years of age. It was a silver one, in the 200 m breaststroke in Tokyo, Japan.
Four years later, when Mexico City
hosted the Games, Kolb was at her best. She ruled in the women's individual medley, and won gold in the 200 m and in the 400 m. During the 1960s she set numerous world records in the medley.
Kolb, who swam with the Santa Clara Swim Club and was coached by George Haines, first burst into prominence in 1964, when she was fourteen years old, by winning the AAU
outdoor 100- and 200-meter breaststroke championships and the indoor 100y breaststroke title. She repeated in both outdoor breaststroke championships in 1965, when she also won the 200 m individual medley.
Although she had set a world record of 1:17.9 in the 100 m breaststroke in 1964 and won a surprising silver medal in the 200 m event at the Olympics, Kolb in 1966 decided to concentrate on the individual medley races.
Going into the 1968 Summer Olympics, Kolb held world records of 2:23.5 in the 200 m individual medley and 5:04.7 in the 400 m, and she was the favorite to win gold medals in both events. She didn't disappoint, winning both races easily. Her 20 m margin in the 400 m was the most decisive Olympic victory by a woman swimmer since 1928.
Claudia Kolb's married name is Claudia Thomas. She retired from competition after the Mexico Olympics. She has coached swimming at clubs in South Bend, Indiana
, and Santa Clara, California
at Stanford University
, and at the Pacific University
. Her Stanford swimmers won the 1980 NCAA team championship. She currently lives in Oregon.
Breaststroke
The breaststroke is a swimming style in which the swimmer is on his or her chest and the torso does not rotate. It is the most popular recreational style due to its stability and the ability to keep the head out of the water a large portion of the time. In most swimming classes, beginners learn...
and medley
Medley swimming
Medley is a combination of four different swimming styles into one race. This race is either swum by one swimmer as individual medley or by four swimmers as a medley relay...
swimmer from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, who won her first Olympic medal at the 1964 Summer Olympics
1964 Summer Olympics
The 1964 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Tokyo, Japan in 1964. Tokyo had been awarded with the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this honor was subsequently passed to Helsinki because of Japan's...
when she was fourteen years of age. It was a silver one, in the 200 m breaststroke in Tokyo, Japan.
Four years later, when Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
hosted the Games, Kolb was at her best. She ruled in the women's individual medley, and won gold in the 200 m and in the 400 m. During the 1960s she set numerous world records in the medley.
Kolb, who swam with the Santa Clara Swim Club and was coached by George Haines, first burst into prominence in 1964, when she was fourteen years old, by winning the AAU
Amateur Athletic Union
The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...
outdoor 100- and 200-meter breaststroke championships and the indoor 100y breaststroke title. She repeated in both outdoor breaststroke championships in 1965, when she also won the 200 m individual medley.
Although she had set a world record of 1:17.9 in the 100 m breaststroke in 1964 and won a surprising silver medal in the 200 m event at the Olympics, Kolb in 1966 decided to concentrate on the individual medley races.
Going into the 1968 Summer Olympics, Kolb held world records of 2:23.5 in the 200 m individual medley and 5:04.7 in the 400 m, and she was the favorite to win gold medals in both events. She didn't disappoint, winning both races easily. Her 20 m margin in the 400 m was the most decisive Olympic victory by a woman swimmer since 1928.
Claudia Kolb's married name is Claudia Thomas. She retired from competition after the Mexico Olympics. She has coached swimming at clubs in South Bend, Indiana
South Bend, Indiana
The city of South Bend is the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total of 101,168 residents; its Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 316,663...
, and Santa Clara, California
Santa Clara, California
Santa Clara , founded in 1777 and incorporated in 1852, is a city in Santa Clara County, in the U.S. state of California. The city is the site of the eighth of 21 California missions, Mission Santa Clara de Asís, and was named after the mission. The Mission and Mission Gardens are located on the...
at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
, and at the Pacific University
Pacific University
Pacific University is a private university located in Oregon, United States. The first campus began more than 160 years ago and is located about 38 km west of Portland in Forest Grove...
. Her Stanford swimmers won the 1980 NCAA team championship. She currently lives in Oregon.