Matt Cetlinski
Encyclopedia
Matthew J. "Matt" Cetlinski (born October 4, 1964) is a former American college and international swimmer
who was an Olympic
gold medalist.
Cetlinski attended Cardinal Newman High School
in West Palm Beach, Florida
. He received an athletic scholarship
to attend the University of Florida
in Gainesville, Florida
, where he swam for coach Randy Reese
's Florida Gators swimming and diving team in National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) competition from 1983 to 1986. As Gator swimmer, he won the NCAA championship in the 500-yard freestyle event in 1986 and received eight All-American honors over the course of his collegiate career. Cetlinski graduated from Florida with a bachelor's degree
in religion
in 1987, and was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 1997.
Cetlinski won a gold medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics
in Seoul, South Korea, where he was a member of the winning U.S. team in the 4x200-meter freestyle
relay, together with teammates Troy Dalbey
, Doug Gjertsen
and Matt Biondi
who swam in the final, as well as Craig Oppel and Dan Jorgensen who swam in the qualifying heats of the event. Cetlinski was also 4th in the 400 meter and 1500 meter free style events in the 1988 Olympic games.
Cetlinksi now works as an acupuncturist in Gainesville, Florida.
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
who was an Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
gold medalist.
Cetlinski attended Cardinal Newman High School
Cardinal Newman High School (West Palm Beach, Florida)
Cardinal Newman High School, also commonly referred to as Cardinal Newman or simply Newman, is a Catholic coeducational secondary school located in West Palm Beach Florida, USA. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Palm Beach...
in West Palm Beach, Florida
West Palm Beach, Florida
West Palm Beach, is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and is the most populous city in and county seat of Palm Beach County, the third most populous county in Florida with a 2010 population of 1,320,134. The city is also the oldest incorporated municipality in South Florida...
. He received an athletic scholarship
Athletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
to attend the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
in Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
, where he swam for coach Randy Reese
Randy Reese
Randy Reese is an American college and Olympic swimming coach. Reese is best known for coaching the Florida Gators swimming and diving teams to four national championships, and coaching the winners of eighteen Olympic gold, eight silver and eight bronze medals...
's Florida Gators swimming and diving team in National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
(NCAA) competition from 1983 to 1986. As Gator swimmer, he won the NCAA championship in the 500-yard freestyle event in 1986 and received eight All-American honors over the course of his collegiate career. Cetlinski graduated from Florida with a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
in 1987, and was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 1997.
Cetlinski won a gold medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics
1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...
in Seoul, South Korea, where he was a member of the winning U.S. team in the 4x200-meter freestyle
Freestyle swimming
Freestyle is an unregulated swimming style used in swimming competitions according to the rules of FINA. The front crawl stroke is almost universally used during a freestyle race, as this style is generally the fastest...
relay, together with teammates Troy Dalbey
Troy Dalbey
Troy Lane Dalbey is a former American college and international swimmer and two-time Olympic gold medalist.Dalbey attended the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he swam for coach Randy Reese's Florida Gators swimming and diving team in National Collegiate Athletic Association ...
, Doug Gjertsen
Doug Gjertsen
Douglas Seneca Gjertsen is a former American swimmer.- 1988 Summer Olympics :He was the third member of the United States' world record 4x200 freestyle relay team at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea...
and Matt Biondi
Matt Biondi
Matthew Nicholas Biondi is a three-time U.S. Olympic swimmer in the 1984, 1988, and 1992 Summer Olympics, winning a total of 11 medals...
who swam in the final, as well as Craig Oppel and Dan Jorgensen who swam in the qualifying heats of the event. Cetlinski was also 4th in the 400 meter and 1500 meter free style events in the 1988 Olympic games.
Cetlinksi now works as an acupuncturist in Gainesville, Florida.
See also
- Florida GatorsFlorida GatorsThe Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
- List of University of Florida alumni
- List of University of Florida Olympians