Cullen Jones
Encyclopedia
Cullen Jones is an American
freestyle
sprint swimmer and Olympic gold medalist.
borough of New York City, Jones moved to Irvington, New Jersey
while in elementary school. He learned to swim after he was rescued from a near-drowning at a splash-down pool at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom
in Pennsylvania
when he was five years old. He became an age-group swimmer at Metro Express, a club team at the Jewish Community Center in West Orange, NJ under head coach Ed Nessel. Jones later switched teams to the Jersey Gators Swim Club in Cranford.
, where he was an English major with a minor in psychology
. He turned professional in the summer of 2006, after signing with Nike
and burst onto the scene shortly after at the 2006 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships
where he set a meet record in the 50 m freestyle with a time of 21.84. He also swam a leg (split of 47.96) in the world record breaking 4×100 m freestyle relay along with Michael Phelps
, Jason Lezak
and Garrett Weber-Gale
. In 2007, he also won a gold medal in 4×100 m freestyle relay with the same teammates in 2007 World Aquatics Championships
Jones is the second African-American to hold or share a world record (4×100 m freestyle relay) in swimming, after Anthony Ervin
. He is also the third African-American to make the US Olympic swimming team after Anthony Ervin and Maritza Correia
. At the 2008 Olympic swimming trials, Jones broke the American record in the 50 meter freestyle with a time of 21.59. The record was subsequently broken the next day by Garrett Weber-Gale. In the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, he won a gold medal in the 4×100 m freestyle relay in a world record time of 3:08.24 with Michael Phelps, Jason Lezak and Garrett Weber-Gale.
In July 2009, Jones set the American record in the 50-meter freestyle at the U.S. National Championships in Indianapolis, IN.
He trains with David Marsh at the Center of Excellence at Mecklenburg Aquatic Club in Charlotte, North Carolina
.
Key: AR = American record
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
sprint swimmer and Olympic gold medalist.
Early life
Born in the BronxThe Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
borough of New York City, Jones moved to Irvington, New Jersey
Irvington, New Jersey
Irvington is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township had a total population of 53,926, a decline of 11.2% from the 60,695 residents enumerated in the 2000 Census.-Geography:...
while in elementary school. He learned to swim after he was rescued from a near-drowning at a splash-down pool at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom
Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom
Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom is an American amusement and water park located in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The park features nine roller coasters, other adult and children's rides, and a waterpark, Wildwater Kingdom....
in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
when he was five years old. He became an age-group swimmer at Metro Express, a club team at the Jewish Community Center in West Orange, NJ under head coach Ed Nessel. Jones later switched teams to the Jersey Gators Swim Club in Cranford.
Swimming career
Jones attended North Carolina State UniversityNorth Carolina State University
North Carolina State University at Raleigh is a public, coeducational, extensive research university located in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Commonly known as NC State, the university is part of the University of North Carolina system and is a land, sea, and space grant institution...
, where he was an English major with a minor in psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
. He turned professional in the summer of 2006, after signing with Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
and burst onto the scene shortly after at the 2006 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships
2006 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships
The tenth edition of the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, a long course event, was held in 2006 in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, from August 17–20. Six world records were tallied compared to one from the 2002 edition. This edition was slower than it would have been because of the...
where he set a meet record in the 50 m freestyle with a time of 21.84. He also swam a leg (split of 47.96) in the world record breaking 4×100 m freestyle relay along with Michael Phelps
Michael Phelps
Michael Fred Phelps is an American swimmer who has, overall, won 16 Olympic medals—six gold and two bronze at Athens in 2004, and eight gold at Beijing in 2008, becoming the most successful athlete at both of these Olympic Games editions...
, Jason Lezak
Jason Lezak
Jason Edward Lezak is an American Olympic swimmer, winner of 4 Olympic gold medals.He formerly swam for Irvine Novaquatics. He graduated from Irvine High School in 1994, and then from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1999. He is a member of the Rose Bowl Aquatics swim club...
and Garrett Weber-Gale
Garrett Weber-Gale
Garrett Weber-Gale is an American Olympic swimmer who won two gold medals in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.-Early life:Weber-Gale is Jewish, and was born in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. He competed for the University of Texas from 2003–07...
. In 2007, he also won a gold medal in 4×100 m freestyle relay with the same teammates in 2007 World Aquatics Championships
2007 World Aquatics Championships
The 2007 World Aquatics Championships or the XII FINA World Championships were held in Melbourne, Australia from 17 March to 1 April 2007...
Jones is the second African-American to hold or share a world record (4×100 m freestyle relay) in swimming, after Anthony Ervin
Anthony Ervin
Anthony Lee Ervin is a former American swimmer. He has won two Olympic medals and two World Championship golds....
. He is also the third African-American to make the US Olympic swimming team after Anthony Ervin and Maritza Correia
Maritza Correia
Maritza Correia is an Olympic-swimmer from the United States. When she qualified for the USA Olympic Team in 2004, she became the first Puerto Rican of African descent to be on the USA Olympic Swimming Team...
. At the 2008 Olympic swimming trials, Jones broke the American record in the 50 meter freestyle with a time of 21.59. The record was subsequently broken the next day by Garrett Weber-Gale. In the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, he won a gold medal in the 4×100 m freestyle relay in a world record time of 3:08.24 with Michael Phelps, Jason Lezak and Garrett Weber-Gale.
In July 2009, Jones set the American record in the 50-meter freestyle at the U.S. National Championships in Indianapolis, IN.
He trains with David Marsh at the Center of Excellence at Mecklenburg Aquatic Club in Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
.
Personal bests (long course)
| Event | Time | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 50 m freestyle AR | 21.41 | July 2009 |
| 100 m freestyle | 48.31 | July 2008 |
Key: AR = American record
External links
- Cullen Jones Official Website
- USA Swimming athlete bio: Cullen Jones
- Cullen Jones Official Bio
- 20 Questions with Cullen Jones 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...
- Parting the Waters – a documentary film about Cullen Jones