Kathleen Baker

Last updated

Kathleen Baker
Kathleen Baker (240805-Z-YH478-1444) (cropped).jpg
Baker in 2024
Personal information
Nickname(s)Thleen, ThleenBean, Little Bean [1]
National teamUnited States
Born (1997-02-28) February 28, 1997 (age 27)
Winston-Salem, North Carolina, U.S.
Height5 ft 8 in (173 cm)
Weight149 lb (68 kg)
Sport
Sport Swimming
Strokes Backstroke, Freestyle
ClubSwimMAC Carolina
College team University of California, Berkeley
Medal record
Women's swimming
Representing the Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
Olympic Games
Olympic rings.svg
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2016 Rio de Janeiro 4×100 m medley
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg2016 Rio de Janeiro 100 m backstroke
World Championships (LC)
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2017 Budapest 4×100 m medley
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg2017 Budapest 100 m backstroke
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg2017 Budapest 200 m backstroke
World Championships (SC)
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2018 Hangzhou 4×50 m medley
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg2018 Hangzhou 4×100 m medley
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg2018 Hangzhou 200 m backstroke
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg2018 Hangzhou 200 m medley
Pan Pacific Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2018 Tokyo 200 m backstroke
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2018 Tokyo 4×100 m medley
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2018 Tokyo 100 m backstroke
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2018 Tokyo 4×100 m mixed medley

Kathleen Baker (born February 28, 1997) is an American competition swimmer who specializes in freestyle and backstroke events. At the 2016 Summer Olympics, she won a gold medal in the 4x100-meter medley relay and a silver medal in the individual 100-meter backstroke. She is the former world-record holder in 100 meter backstroke, set on July 28, 2018, in 58.00 at the William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center in Irvine, CA. Baker is also the former world-record holder in the 4x100 meter medley relay with Lilly King, Dana Vollmer, and Simone Manuel.

Contents

Early life

Baker attended Forsyth Country Day School until the tenth grade and then was home-schooled, so it would be easy to travel back and forth between Winston-Salem, North Carolina and Charlotte, North Carolina to swim and train with SwimMAC Carolina. Her mother swam for the College of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina, and her older sister, Rachel, currently swims for Washington and Lee University. [2] [3]

In 2010, Baker was diagnosed with Crohn's disease. [4]

Career

Baker competing in 2017 Kathleen Baker in 200m backstroke heat (34346570524).jpg
Baker competing in 2017

College swimming

Baker attended the University of California, Berkeley, where she competed for the California Golden Bears swimming and diving team for three years from 2015 to 2018. [5]

2014–2015

At the 2014 Phillips 66 Nationals, the qualification meet for the 2014 Pan Pacifics, Baker finished second in the 200-meter backstroke and qualified for the team. She finished ninth in the 200-meter backstroke at Pan Pacifics, just outside the final.

Baker was also selected to the 2015 World Championships roster in the 100-meter backstroke. She placed eighth in the final of the 100-meter backstroke. She also swam in the prelims for the 4x100-meter medley relay, but did not receive a medal as the final squad finished fourth. [6]

2016 Summer Olympics

At the 2016 Olympic Trials, Baker qualified for her first Olympics in the 100-meter backstroke by finishing second with a time of 59.29.

In Rio, she won a silver medal in the 100-meter backstroke with a time of 58.75, three tenths behind the winner Katinka Hosszú. She was not considered by many to be a medal threat since she had never broken 59 seconds prior to the Olympics. [7] Baker also won a gold medal alongside Lilly King, Dana Vollmer, and Simone Manuel as the lead off of the 4x100-meter medley relay.

2017

2017 World Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 4×100 m medley 3:51.55 (WR)
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 100 m backstroke 58.58
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 200 m backstroke 2:06.48

At the 2017 World Championships, Baker won three medals. She won silver in the 100-meter backstroke, [8] bronze in the 200-meter backstroke, [9] and gold in the 4x100-meter medley relay. [10] Though she did not medal in the 50-meter backstroke, Baker broke Natalie Coughlin's American record in the event in the semifinals with a time of 27.48. [11] Baker led off the women's 4x100-meter medley relay, with the team winning with a time of 3:51.55. The team of Baker, Lilly King, Kelsi Worrell, and Simone Manuel broke the 2012 world record of 3:52.05 set by Missy Franklin, Rebecca Soni, Dana Vollmer, and Allison Schmitt. [12] [13]

Personal life

In July 2021, Baker announced her engagement to her long-time boyfriend and United States Marine, Sean Dowling. [14] [15]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Natalie Coughlin</span> American swimmer (born 1982)

Natalie Anne Coughlin Hall is an American former competition swimmer and twelve-time Olympic medalist. While attending the University of California, Berkeley, she became the first woman ever to swim the 100-meter backstroke in less than one minute—ten days before her 20th birthday in 2002. At the 2008 Summer Olympics, she became the first U.S. female athlete in modern Olympic history to win six medals in one Olympiad, and the first woman ever to win a 100-meter backstroke gold in two consecutive Olympics. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, she earned a bronze medal in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dana Vollmer</span> American swimmer (born 1987)

Dana Whitney Vollmer is a former American competition swimmer, five-time Olympic gold medalist, and former world record-holder. At the 2004 Summer Olympics, she won a gold medal as a member of the winning United States team in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay that set the world record in the event. Eight years later at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Vollmer set the world record on her way to the gold medal in the 100-meter butterfly, and also won golds in the 4×100-meter medley relay and 4×200-meter freestyle relay. She won three medals including a gold at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jessica Hardy</span> American swimmer (born 1987)

Jessica Adele Hardy Meichtry is an American competitive swimmer who specializes in breaststroke and freestyle events. Hardy earned a bronze medal in the 4×100-meter freestyle and a gold medal in the 4×100-meter medley relays at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Grevers</span> American swimmer (born 1985)

Matthew Grevers is a former American competition swimmer who competes in the backstroke and freestyle events, and is a six-time Olympic medalist. He has won a total of thirty-three medals in major international competition, fourteen gold, twelve silver, and seven bronze spanning the Olympics, World Championships, and the Universiade. At the 2008 Summer Olympics, Grevers won gold medals as a member of the U.S. teams in the 4×100-meter freestyle and 4×100-meter medley relays, and a silver medal in the 100-meter backstroke. Four years later, at the 2012 Summer Olympics, he won gold medals in the 100-meter backstroke and the 4×100-meter medley relay, and a silver medal in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elizabeth Pelton</span> American swimmer

Elizabeth Anne Pelton is an American former competitive swimmer and multi FINA world champion.

Haley Cope, also known by her married name Haley Clark, is an American former competition swimmer, Olympic medalist, and former world record-holder. She won a silver medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics, eight world championship medals, and held a world record in the 50-meter backstroke.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Missy Franklin</span> American swimmer, Olympic gold medalist (born 1995)

Melissa Franklin Johnson is an American former competitive swimmer and five-time Olympic medalist. She held the world record in the 200-meter backstroke from 2012 to 2019. As a member of the U.S. national swim team, she also held the world records in the 4×100-meter medley relay.

David Edward Plummer is a retired American competition swimmer who specialized in backstroke events. He won bronze and gold medals at the 2016 Summer Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ryan Murphy (swimmer)</span> American swimmer (born 1995)

Ryan Fitzgerald MurphyOLY is an American competitive swimmer specializing in backstroke. He is a five-time Olympic gold medalist and the former world-record holder in the men's 100-meter backstroke.

Shannon Vreeland is an American former competition swimmer specializing in freestyle and Olympic gold medallist. She was a member of the 2012 United States Olympic team, and won a gold medal in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay at the 2012 London Summer Olympics. Vreeland had won a total of nineteen medals in major international competitions, including thirteen gold medals, three silver, and three bronze, spanning the Olympics, World Championships, Pan Pacific Championships, and Summer Universiade. Vreeland retired after the 2016 Olympic Trials and began attending law school at Vanderbilt University in the fall of 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olivia Smoliga</span> American swimmer

Olivia Smoliga is a 2X Olympian and American competitive swimmer who specializes in backstroke and freestyle events. She won a record eight gold medals at the 2018 World Championships, becoming the first swimmer, male or female, to win eight or more gold medals in a single FINA World Swimming Championships or FINA World Aquatics Championships. Smoliga is the current American record-holder in the 50-meter backstroke. She is also the current Guinness World Record holder for "most gold medals won at a single FINA World Championships" by an individual swimmer. At the 2016 Summer Olympics held in Rio de Janeiro, she won a gold medal for swimming the backstroke leg in the preliminary heat of the 4x100-meter medley relay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simone Manuel</span> American swimmer (born 1996)

Simone Ashley Manuel is an American professional swimmer specializing in freestyle events. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, she won two gold and two silver medals: gold in the 100-meter freestyle and the 4×100-meter medley, and silver in the 50-meter freestyle and the 4×100-meter freestyle relay. In winning the 100-meter freestyle, a tie with Penny Oleksiak of Canada, Manuel became the first Black American woman to win an individual Olympic gold in swimming and set an Olympic record and an American record. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, she won a bronze medal as the anchor of the American 4×100-meter freestyle relay team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abbey Weitzeil</span> American swimmer (born 1996)

Abbigail "Abbey" Weitzeil is an American competition swimmer specializing in sprint freestyle. A multiple time Olympic medalist, she won a gold medal in the 4x100-meter medley relay for swimming in the preliminary heats and a silver medal in the 4x100-meter freestyle relay at the 2016 Rio Olympics. At the 2020 Summer Olympics she won a silver medal in the 4x100-meter medley relay and a bronze medal in the 4x100-meter freestyle relay, swimming in the final of both events. She is the American record holder in the 50-yard freestyle and is part of the American Record in the 4x100-meter freestyle relay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caeleb Dressel</span> American swimmer (born 1996)

Caeleb Remel Dressel is an American competitive swimmer who specializes in freestyle, butterfly, and individual medley events. He swims representing the Cali Condors as part of the International Swimming League. He won a record seven gold medals at the 2017 World Aquatics Championships in Budapest, nine medals, six of which were gold, at the 2018 World Swimming Championships in Hangzhou, and eight medals, including six gold, at the 2019 World Aquatics Championships in Gwangju. Dressel is a nine-time Olympic gold medalist and holds world records in the 100 meter butterfly, 50 meter freestyle, and 100 meter individual medley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Andrew (swimmer)</span> American swimmer (born 1999)

Michael Charles Andrew is an American competitive swimmer and an Olympic gold medalist. He was the 2016 world champion in the 100 meter individual medley. At his first Olympic Games, the 2020 Summer Olympics, he won a gold medal and set a world record as part of the 4x100 meter medley relay, placed fourth in the 100 meter breaststroke, fourth in the 50 meter freestyle, and fifth in the 200 meter individual medley. Andrew's swims in 2021 at the 2020 Olympics made him the first swimmer to represent the United States at an Olympic Games in an individual breaststroke event as well as another individual event other than an individual medley in the then-125-year-history of swimming at the Summer Olympics. He has won 78 medals at Swimming World Cup circuits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lilly King</span> American swimmer (born 1997)

Lillia Camille King is an American swimmer who specializes in breaststroke. At the 2016 Summer Olympics, she won the gold medal in the 100-meter breaststroke competition and also won a gold medal in the 4x100 meter medley relay, in which she swam the breaststroke leg. At the 2020 Summer Olympics, King won a silver medal in the 4x100 meter medley relay for her efforts in the prelims, the silver medal in the 200-meter breaststroke, and the bronze medal in the 100-meter breaststroke. At the 2024 Summer Olympics, she won a gold medal in the 4x100 meter medley relay, where she swam the breaststroke leg. She is the current world record holder in the long course 100-meter breaststroke.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Regan Smith (swimmer)</span> American swimmer (born 2002)

Regan Smith is an American competitive swimmer. She won 3 medals at the 2020 Summer Olympics and 5 medals at the 2024 Summer Olympics. She is the current world record holder in the long course 100-meter backstroke, world junior record holder in the women's long course 100-meter backstroke and 200-meter backstroke, and the former world record holder in the 200-meter backstroke.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zach Apple</span> American swimmer (born 1997)

Zachary "Zach" Douglas Apple is a retired American competitive swimmer who specialized in the sprint freestyle events. He used to swim for DC Trident in the International Swimming League. He won his first Olympic gold medal in the 4x100-meter freestyle relay at the 2020 Summer Olympics, swimming in the prelims and the final of the event, and later in the same Olympic Games won a gold medal and helped set a new world record and Olympic record in the 4x100-meter medley relay, swimming the freestyle leg of the relay in the final.

Andrew Wilson is a retired American swimmer. At the 2020 Summer Olympics, he placed 6th in the 100 meter breaststroke, 17th in the 200 meter breaststroke, and won a gold medal in the 4x100 meter medley relay, for his efforts in the prelims of the relay.

Rhyan Elizabeth White is an American swimmer. She won a silver medal in the 4x100-meter medley relay at the 2020 Summer Olympics for her contribution in the prelims of the event and placed fourth in both the 100-meter backstroke and the 200-meter backstroke. At the 2020 Olympics, White also became the first Utah-born swimmer to compete in an Olympic Games. At the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics, she was the only swimmer representing the United States to win a medal. She won her first world title in the 200-meter backstroke at the 2021 World Short Course Championships.

References

  1. Murtagh, Alison (July 18, 2016). "5 Reasons to Cheer for Olympian Kathleen Baker". Swimming World . Retrieved August 27, 2016.
  2. Lowe, Kegan (August 9, 2016). "Winston-Salem's Kathleen Baker takes silver in 100m backstroke". journalnow.com. BH Media Group, Inc. Retrieved August 17, 2016.
  3. Fowler, Scott (July 1, 2016). "For swimmer Kathleen Baker, 19, road to Olympics ran between Winston-Salem, Charlotte". charlotteobserver.com. Retrieved August 17, 2016.
  4. Crouse, Karen (July 14, 2016). "Swimmer Kathleen Baker Overcomes Crohn's Disease to Become an Olympian". The New York Times . Retrieved August 17, 2016.
  5. "Kathleen Baker Bio". calbears.com. California Golden Bears. Retrieved June 29, 2016.
  6. "Kathleen Baker Bio". SwimSwam. Retrieved September 15, 2016.
  7. "Kathleen Baker: It's a Good Time to Go A Best Time (Video)". swimswam.com. Swim Swam. June 28, 2016. Retrieved June 29, 2016.
  8. "Results Summary". Omega Timing. July 25, 2017. Archived from the original on July 28, 2017. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  9. "Results Summary". Omega Timing. July 29, 2017. Archived from the original on July 30, 2017. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  10. "Results Summary". Omega Timing. July 30, 2017. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  11. "Kathleen Baker Downs Natalie Coughlin's 50 Back American Record - Swimming World News". Swimming World News. July 26, 2017. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
  12. "U.S. set world record to win women's 4x100 metres medley relay" . Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  13. "Watch USA Women Eclipse WR in 4x100 Medley Relay (Race Video)". SwimSwam. July 30, 2017. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  14. D'Addona, Dan (July 19, 2021). "Olympic Gold Medalist Kathleen Baker Announces Engagement". Swimming World . Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  15. Dornan, Ben (July 19, 2021). "US Olympian Kathleen Baker Announces Engagement To US Marine Sean Dowling". SwimSwam . Retrieved January 15, 2022.


Records
Preceded by Women's 100 metre backstroke
world record holder (long course)

28 July 2018 – 28 July 2019
Succeeded by