Jason Lezak
Encyclopedia
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
. The head coach, Jeff Julian, is a good friend.
He is 193 cm (6 ft 4 in) tall and weighs 93 kg (205 pounds). Lezak is a specialist in the 50 and 100 m freestyle races. He also owns long-course world records in the 400m freestyle and medley relays, as well a former American record holder in the 100 Free. Lezak is one of the few elite swimmers not to have a personal coach. Despite this, Lezak enjoys team sports and fellow American Gary Hall, Jr.
dubbed Lezak as a "professional relay swimmer" at the 2004 Olympic Trials before their matchup in the 100m freestyle.
, and is Jewish
. The name Lezak, pronounced Leh-Zhack (short e), probably comes from the Polish word root meaning 'to lie, to recline'. Lezak attended El Camino Real Elementary School, which is now known as Woodbury Elementary. Jason currently lives in Irvine, California, his hometown, with his wife, Danielle.
, 2004
, and 2008
, and has earned a total of seven Olympic medals, three bronze, one silver, and three gold. He hopes to compete in the 2012 Games
in London, so long as his finances permit him to continue his training.
in Sydney, where he was part of the 4×100 m medley relay in the Olympics in Sydney. He also won a silver medal in the 4×100 m freestyle relay.
, and was a member of the 4×100 m medley relay team that set a new world record at the games. He also won a bronze medal in the 4×100 m freestyle relay and finished fifth in the 50 m freestyle.
in Beijing, Lezak was the oldest male on the U.S. swim team. He anchored the U.S. 4×100 m freestyle relay team that won the gold medal and set a new world record. In the final 25 meters, Lezak overtook French team anchor Alain Bernard
(the world record holder in the 100m freestyle going into the relay) to win gold despite Bernard having nearly a full body length's advantage when Lezak started his leg and half a body length with 25 meters from the end. Lezak split a 46.06, the fastest 100 meter freestyle split in history, by nearly six tenths of a second. Rowdy Gaines
commented shortly after the race that "that might be the most incredible relay split I've ever seen in my entire life." The final time of the American team was 3:08:24, which was 3.99 seconds faster than the previous world record. France finished second at 3:08.32, eight hundredths of a second behind—the closest finish in the event's history. The victory came only days after Bernard had issued inflammatory statements, stating that his team would "smash" the United States team in the race. This was a crucial race for Michael Phelps
, for he needed it to complete the goal of winning eight gold medals in a single Olympic Games, which would break Mark Spitz’s
record of seven gold medals at the 1972 Olympic Games
in Munich
.
Lezak also earned his first individual Olympic medal, having tied for the bronze with Brazil
lian swimmer César Cielo Filho in the 100 m freestyle
with a time of 47.67. He anchored the 4×100 meter medley relay to give Team USA the title, which was also Phelps's record-setting eighth gold medal of the Beijing Games.
Following the 2008 Olympic Games, Lezak appeared as a guest on The Today Show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show
, Late Night with Conan O'Brien
, and ESPN's
Jim Rome is Burning
.
to compete in the 18th Maccabiah Games
in Israel from July 12–29. Lezak was given the honor of lighting the Maccabiah torch at the Opening Ceremony. At the Maccabiah Games, Lezak won gold medals in the 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle, 4×100m freestyle relay, and 4×100m medley relay.
, if his finances permit him to continue training. His endorsement contract with Nike
expired and was not renewed after the sportswear company decided to pull out of the competitive swimming market. Despite Lezak's Olympic successes, he says he does not expect to get any more sponsorships. But he has recently entered a sponsorship deal with swimming company FINIS.
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...
, 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
University of California, Santa Barbara
The University of California, Santa Barbara, commonly known as UCSB or UC Santa Barbara, is a public research university and one of the 10 general campuses of the University of California system. The main campus is located on a site in Goleta, California, from Santa Barbara and northwest of Los...
in 1999. He is a member of the Rose Bowl Aquatics swim club
Rose Bowl Aquatics Center
The Rose Bowl Aquatics Center is a pool facility located in Pasadena, CA adjacent to the Rose Bowl Stadium. It is best known as the training facility for the Rose Bowl Aquatics swim club, as well as Rose Bowl Masters swimming and Rose Bowl diving teams....
. The head coach, Jeff Julian, is a good friend.
He is 193 cm (6 ft 4 in) tall and weighs 93 kg (205 pounds). Lezak is a specialist in the 50 and 100 m freestyle races. He also owns long-course world records in the 400m freestyle and medley relays, as well a former American record holder in the 100 Free. Lezak is one of the few elite swimmers not to have a personal coach. Despite this, Lezak enjoys team sports and fellow American Gary Hall, Jr.
Gary Hall, Jr.
For his father, also an Olympian, see Gary Hall, Sr.Gary Wayne Hall, Jr. is an American swimmer who competed in the 1996, 2000, and 2004 Olympics and won ten Olympic medals ....
dubbed Lezak as a "professional relay swimmer" at the 2004 Olympic Trials before their matchup in the 100m freestyle.
Personal life
Lezak was born in Irvine, CaliforniaIrvine, California
Irvine is a suburban incorporated city in Orange County, California, United States. It is a planned city, mainly developed by the Irvine Company since the 1960s. Formally incorporated on December 28, 1971, the city has a population of 212,375 as of the 2010 census. However, the California...
, and is Jewish
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
. The name Lezak, pronounced Leh-Zhack (short e), probably comes from the Polish word root meaning 'to lie, to recline'. Lezak attended El Camino Real Elementary School, which is now known as Woodbury Elementary. Jason currently lives in Irvine, California, his hometown, with his wife, Danielle.
Olympics
Lezak currently has competed in three Olympic Games, in 20002000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
, 2004
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
, and 2008
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
, and has earned a total of seven Olympic medals, three bronze, one silver, and three gold. He hopes to compete in the 2012 Games
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the "London 2012 Olympic Games", are scheduled to take place in London, England, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012...
in London, so long as his finances permit him to continue his training.
2000 Olympics
Lezak earned his first long-course international swimming gold medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
in Sydney, where he was part of the 4×100 m medley relay in the Olympics in Sydney. He also won a silver medal in the 4×100 m freestyle relay.
2004 Olympics
He competed in several events at the 2004 Olympic Games in 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...
, and was a member of the 4×100 m medley relay team that set a new world record at the games. He also won a bronze medal in the 4×100 m freestyle relay and finished fifth in the 50 m freestyle.
2008 Olympics
At the 2008 Summer Olympics2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in Beijing, Lezak was the oldest male on the U.S. swim team. He anchored the U.S. 4×100 m freestyle relay team that won the gold medal and set a new world record. In the final 25 meters, Lezak overtook French team anchor Alain Bernard
Alain Bernard
Alain Bernard is a French swimmer from Aubagne, Bouches-du-Rhône.Bernard won three medals in the 2008 Summer Olympics. After competing on the silver medal-winning French 4×100 m relay team, Bernard won the gold medal in the men's 100 m freestyle event.He held the same 100 m...
(the world record holder in the 100m freestyle going into the relay) to win gold despite Bernard having nearly a full body length's advantage when Lezak started his leg and half a body length with 25 meters from the end. Lezak split a 46.06, the fastest 100 meter freestyle split in history, by nearly six tenths of a second. Rowdy Gaines
Rowdy Gaines
Ambrose Gaines IV is a former American swimmer, U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame member, Olympic three-time gold medalist, and member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame...
commented shortly after the race that "that might be the most incredible relay split I've ever seen in my entire life." The final time of the American team was 3:08:24, which was 3.99 seconds faster than the previous world record. France finished second at 3:08.32, eight hundredths of a second behind—the closest finish in the event's history. The victory came only days after Bernard had issued inflammatory statements, stating that his team would "smash" the United States team in the race. This was a crucial race for 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...
, for he needed it to complete the goal of winning eight gold medals in a single Olympic Games, which would break Mark Spitz’s
Mark Spitz
Mark Andrew Spitz is a retired American swimmer. He won seven gold medals at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, an achievement only surpassed by Michael Phelps who won eight golds at the 2008 Olympics....
record of seven gold medals at the 1972 Olympic Games
1972 Summer Olympics
The 1972 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from August 26 to September 11, 1972....
in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
.
Lezak also earned his first individual Olympic medal, having tied for the bronze with Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
lian swimmer César Cielo Filho in the 100 m freestyle
Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's 100 metre freestyle
The Men's 100 metre freestyle event at the 2008 Olympic Games took place between August 12 and 14 at the Beijing National Aquatics Center. This swimming event used freestyle swimming, which means that the method of the stroke is not regulated . Nearly all swimmers use the front crawl or a variant...
with a time of 47.67. He anchored the 4×100 meter medley relay to give Team USA the title, which was also Phelps's record-setting eighth gold medal of the Beijing Games.
Following the 2008 Olympic Games, Lezak appeared as a guest on The Today Show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show, often shortened to Ellen, is an American television talk show hosted by comedian/actress Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it is produced by Telepictures and airs in syndication, including stations owned by NBC Universal. For its first five seasons, the show...
, Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...
, and ESPN's
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
Jim Rome is Burning
Jim Rome is Burning
Jim Rome Is Burning, originally titled Rome Is Burning and often abbreviated as JRIB, is a sports conversation and opinion show hosted by Jim Rome. Debuting on May 6, 2003 as Rome Is Burning, it was originally a once a week show in primetime at 7:00 PM ET on Tuesday nights on ESPN...
.
Short Course Competitions
In short-course competitions he won five world championships, four relays plus a gold in the 100 m freestyle in 2004. Lezak has also won 7 US Championships, three times in the 50 m freestyle and four in the 100 m freestyle.2009
Lezak forwent the 2009 World Aquatics Championships2009 World Aquatics Championships
The 2009 World Aquatics Championships or the XIII FINA World Championships were celebrated in Rome, Italy in 2009 from July 17 to August 2. The 2009 Championships featured competition in all 5 aquatics disciplines: diving, swimming, open water swimming, synchronized swimming and water polo.Rome won...
to compete in the 18th Maccabiah Games
Maccabiah Games
The Maccabiah is an international Jewish athletic event similar to the Olympics held in Israel every four years under the auspices of the Maccabi Federation, affiliated with the Maccabi World Union. The Maccabiah Games is the third largest international sports competition in the world...
in Israel from July 12–29. Lezak was given the honor of lighting the Maccabiah torch at the Opening Ceremony. At the Maccabiah Games, Lezak won gold medals in the 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle, 4×100m freestyle relay, and 4×100m medley relay.
Future competition
Lezak hopes to compete in the 2012 Olympic Games2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the "London 2012 Olympic Games", are scheduled to take place in London, England, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012...
, if his finances permit him to continue training. His endorsement contract 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...
expired and was not renewed after the sportswear company decided to pull out of the competitive swimming market. Despite Lezak's Olympic successes, he says he does not expect to get any more sponsorships. But he has recently entered a sponsorship deal with swimming company FINIS.
Personal bests
His personal bests (long-course) are:- 50 m freestyle: 21.90
- 100 m freestyle: 47.58 (former American Record)
- 100 m freestyle relay split 46.06 (fastest relay split ever, although FINAFinaFina may refer to:*Fina, a character in the Skies of Arcadia video game*FINA, the International Swimming Federation*FINA, the North American Forum on Integration...
does not recognize world records for relay splits, unless they were in the opening leg, because only the opening leg is done from a stationary start, whereas later swimmers can lean over in the process of diving as the preceding swimmer is coming in)
See also
- List of select Jewish swimmers
- List of multiple Olympic gold medalists in one event
External links
- You Tube Video of Jason Lezak Winning 4x100 Relay at Beijing Olympics
- USA Swimming athlete bio: Jason Lezak
- Jason Lezak as a guest on Jim Rome is Burning
- Jason Lezak Official Bio
- Jason Lezak at the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame (inducted 2006)