Lenny Krayzelburg
Encyclopedia
Lenny Krayzelburg is an American backstroke
swimmer, and Olympic gold medalist and former world record holder. He swam in the 2000
and 2004
Olympics. He won a total of 4 Olympic gold medals.
(then Soviet Union
, now Ukraine
). Krayzelburg and his family left the Soviet Union in 1989 for the United States. They settled in Los Angeles.
After their immigration, Krayzelburg's family suffered from financial difficulties. He had to commute by bus and on foot 45 minutes each way to swimming practice, and did not get home before 9:30 in the evening. In addition, Lenny had to cope with language problems, and to study English rapidly in order to understand his coaches' instructions. Thankfully he was aided by the extensive Russian community in Los Angeles, and managed to adapt quickly.
where he won both the 100 and 200 yards (182.9 m) backstroke junior college titles. His coach at Santa Monica recognized his talent and recommended him to Mark Schubert
at the University of Southern California
. Lenny transferred to USC. In 1995, he became a naturalized citizen of the United States. Three years later, he became the first swimmer since 1986 to sweep the backstroke events, 100 m & 200 m, in the World Championships
.
In 1999, Krayzelburg broke the 50, 100 and the 200 m world records respectively, setting the clock on 24.99, 53.60 and 1:55.87. He was then recognized as the top backstroke swimmer in the world and one of the best in the history of this swimming style.
He continued to dominate at the Sydney 2000 Olympics
backstroke, shattering the Olympic record and nearing his own 1999 world record with 53.72 in the 100, while making another Olympic Record in the 200 with a 1:56.76. He also played an important role in helping the American team win a gold medal in the 4x100 m relay with a new world record of 3:33.73.
that took place in Fukuoka
, Japan, in order to focus on the 2001 Maccabiah Games
in Israel
. Being Jewish, Krayzelburg wanted to take this once-in-a-lifetime chance to compete with other top Jewish athletes. In addition, he wanted to fulfill a childhood dream by visiting the holy land, and lifting the American delegate flag during the games' opening ceremony. He was selected to carry in the flag for the United States at the opening ceremonies. He then earned gold and set a new Maccabiah record in the 100-meter backstroke
. He also won a gold medal in the 4 x 100 m medley relay.
In September 2003, Krazelburg split from his coach Mark Schubert
, to start training under Dave Salo
, who also coached Aaron Peirsol
. Peirsol was considered by many to be Krayzelburg's successor. Working with Salo, Krayzelburg changed the style of his stroke, particularly due to his shoulder injuries.
Olympics, alongside training partner, Aaron Peirsol
. His good shape enabled him to reach the finals. He came into this final knowing this might be his career's last, but missed out on a medal by just 2/100 of a second, with a qualitative result of 54.38, whereas Peirsol won gold with 54.06. Krayzelburg made up for the upset by helping the American team to win yet another Olympic gold in the 4 x 100 m relay, despite not swimming in the final of this event (he swam in the preliminary round, while Peirsol took his spot in the final).
Krayzelburg is known as one of the physically strongest swimmers around, and for his powerful arm strokes, a product of his training regimen and bodybuilder-esque physique. He is 6 in 2 in (1.88 m) tall and weighs just above 187 lb (84.8 kg).
Lenny owes lots of his career achievements to his father Oleg, who has been a significant part of his success by repeatedly urging and pushing him to go on, even when Lenny wanted to quit at the age of 14. He enjoys reading as well as working with computers. Additionally, he was voted as USA swimmer of the year between 1997–2000.
He owns a condominium in the Brighton Beach
neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York.
Backstroke
The backstroke, also sometimes called the back crawl, is one of the four swimming styles regulated by FINA, and the only regulated style swum on the back. This has the advantage of easy breathing, but the disadvantage of swimmers not being able to see where they are going. It is also the only...
swimmer, and Olympic gold medalist and former world record holder. He swam in the 2000
Swimming at the 2000 Summer Olympics
At the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, 32 swimming events were contested, between September 15–23, 2000. There was a total of 954 participants from 150 countries competing.-Medal table:-Men:...
and 2004
Swimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Swimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics took place in the Olympic Aquatic Centre with the athletes competing in 32 events. There was a total of 937 participants from 152 countries competing.-Medal table:-Men's events:...
Olympics. He won a total of 4 Olympic gold medals.
Early years
Krayzelburg is Jewish, and was born to Jewish parents in OdessaOdessa
Odessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 .The predecessor of Odessa, a small Tatar settlement,...
(then Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, now Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
). Krayzelburg and his family left the Soviet Union in 1989 for the United States. They settled in Los Angeles.
After their immigration, Krayzelburg's family suffered from financial difficulties. He had to commute by bus and on foot 45 minutes each way to swimming practice, and did not get home before 9:30 in the evening. In addition, Lenny had to cope with language problems, and to study English rapidly in order to understand his coaches' instructions. Thankfully he was aided by the extensive Russian community in Los Angeles, and managed to adapt quickly.
College
Lenny first attended Santa Monica CollegeSanta Monica College
Santa Monica College is a two-year, public, junior college located in Santa Monica, California.Santa Monica College was first opened in 1929 as Santa Monica Junior College. Current enrollment is over 30,000 students in more than 90 fields of study...
where he won both the 100 and 200 yards (182.9 m) backstroke junior college titles. His coach at Santa Monica recognized his talent and recommended him to Mark Schubert
Mark Schubert
Mark Schubert has been USA Swimming's National Team Head Coach since June 2009). He took a paid leave of absence from his role with USA Swimming in September 2010....
at the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
. Lenny transferred to USC. In 1995, he became a naturalized citizen of the United States. Three years later, he became the first swimmer since 1986 to sweep the backstroke events, 100 m & 200 m, in the World Championships
1998 World Aquatics Championships
The 1998 World Aquatics Championships or the 8th FINA World Swimming Championships were held in Perth, Western Australia, Australia between 8 January and 17 January 1998....
.
In 1999, Krayzelburg broke the 50, 100 and the 200 m world records respectively, setting the clock on 24.99, 53.60 and 1:55.87. He was then recognized as the top backstroke swimmer in the world and one of the best in the history of this swimming style.
He continued to dominate at the Sydney 2000 Olympics
Swimming at the 2000 Summer Olympics
At the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, 32 swimming events were contested, between September 15–23, 2000. There was a total of 954 participants from 150 countries competing.-Medal table:-Men:...
backstroke, shattering the Olympic record and nearing his own 1999 world record with 53.72 in the 100, while making another Olympic Record in the 200 with a 1:56.76. He also played an important role in helping the American team win a gold medal in the 4x100 m relay with a new world record of 3:33.73.
Maccabiah Games
After the Olympics Krayzelburg decided to skip the 2001 World Championships2001 World Aquatics Championships
rightThe 2001 World Aquatics Championships or the 9th FINA World Swimming Championships were held in Fukuoka, Japan between 16 July and 29 July 2001....
that took place in Fukuoka
Fukuoka, Fukuoka
is the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture and is situated on the northern shore of the island of Kyushu in Japan.Voted number 14 in a 2010 poll of the World's Most Livable Cities, Fukuoka is praised for its green spaces in a metropolitan setting. It is the most populous city in Kyushu, followed by...
, Japan, in order to focus on the 2001 Maccabiah Games
2001 Maccabiah Games
For the 2001 16th Maccabiah Games , the Opening Ceremony was held in Jerusalem at Teddy Stadium, while the re-building process of the collapsed bridge and investigations into the collapse continued....
in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. Being Jewish, Krayzelburg wanted to take this once-in-a-lifetime chance to compete with other top Jewish athletes. In addition, he wanted to fulfill a childhood dream by visiting the holy land, and lifting the American delegate flag during the games' opening ceremony. He was selected to carry in the flag for the United States at the opening ceremonies. He then earned gold and set a new Maccabiah record in the 100-meter backstroke
Backstroke
The backstroke, also sometimes called the back crawl, is one of the four swimming styles regulated by FINA, and the only regulated style swum on the back. This has the advantage of easy breathing, but the disadvantage of swimmers not being able to see where they are going. It is also the only...
. He also won a gold medal in the 4 x 100 m medley relay.
Difficulties, perseverance
A couple of months later he had to undergo surgery on his left shoulder, following a fall while running on a treadmill, after which he had to take a year off swimming.In September 2003, Krazelburg split from his coach Mark Schubert
Mark Schubert
Mark Schubert has been USA Swimming's National Team Head Coach since June 2009). He took a paid leave of absence from his role with USA Swimming in September 2010....
, to start training under Dave Salo
Dave Salo
David Clark "Dave" Salo is a swimming coach based in Southern California, USA. Currently, he is the head coach of the University of Southern California men's and women's swimming team, as well as USC's club team: Trojan Swim Club. Prior to his becoming the USC coach, he was the head coach of Irvine...
, who also coached Aaron Peirsol
Aaron Peirsol
Aaron Wells Peirsol is a former American swimmer who specialized in the backstroke. He is a three-time Olympian and seven-time Olympic medalist . As part of the American team, he holds the world record in the 4×100-meter medley relay...
. Peirsol was considered by many to be Krayzelburg's successor. Working with Salo, Krayzelburg changed the style of his stroke, particularly due to his shoulder injuries.
Success
This turn in Krayzelburg's career proved to be successful. He finished second in the American trials for the 100 meters event to secure a place in the 2004 AthensAthens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
Olympics, alongside training partner, Aaron Peirsol
Aaron Peirsol
Aaron Wells Peirsol is a former American swimmer who specialized in the backstroke. He is a three-time Olympian and seven-time Olympic medalist . As part of the American team, he holds the world record in the 4×100-meter medley relay...
. His good shape enabled him to reach the finals. He came into this final knowing this might be his career's last, but missed out on a medal by just 2/100 of a second, with a qualitative result of 54.38, whereas Peirsol won gold with 54.06. Krayzelburg made up for the upset by helping the American team to win yet another Olympic gold in the 4 x 100 m relay, despite not swimming in the final of this event (he swam in the preliminary round, while Peirsol took his spot in the final).
Krayzelburg is known as one of the physically strongest swimmers around, and for his powerful arm strokes, a product of his training regimen and bodybuilder-esque physique. He is 6 in 2 in (1.88 m) tall and weighs just above 187 lb (84.8 kg).
Lenny owes lots of his career achievements to his father Oleg, who has been a significant part of his success by repeatedly urging and pushing him to go on, even when Lenny wanted to quit at the age of 14. He enjoys reading as well as working with computers. Additionally, he was voted as USA swimmer of the year between 1997–2000.
He owns a condominium in the Brighton Beach
Brighton Beach
Brighton Beach is an oceanside neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. As of 2000, it has a population of 75,692 with a total of 31,228 households.-Location:...
neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York.
See also
- World record progression 100 metres backstrokeWorld record progression 100 metres backstrokeThis is a history of the 100 m backstroke world record as swum in both long-course pools and short-course pools—the two categories recognized/tracked by FINA.-Long course:-Short course:-Long course:-Short course:...
- List of select Jewish swimmers
- List of multiple Olympic gold medalists at a single Games
- List of multiple Olympic gold medalists
External links
- Lenny Krayzelburg's U.S. Olympic Team bio
- Biography at USA SwimmingUSA SwimmingUSA Swimming is the national governing body for competitive swimming in the United States. It is charged with selecting the United States Olympic Swimming team and any other teams which officially represent the United States, as well as the overall organization and operation of the sport within the...
- "20 Questions" with Lenny Krayzelburg at USA SwimmingUSA SwimmingUSA Swimming is the national governing body for competitive swimming in the United States. It is charged with selecting the United States Olympic Swimming team and any other teams which officially represent the United States, as well as the overall organization and operation of the sport within the...
- Lenny Krayzelburg Swim Camp