Biography of Natalie Coughlin

Natalie Coughlin (b. August 23, 1982) is a United States swimmer and a member of the 2004 Olympic swimming team for the U.S.

She is originally from Concord, California. Prior to journeying to Athens, she was a student and athlete at the University of California, Berkeley and is expected to earn a bachelor’s degree in psychology in Spring 2005. She had won three National Collegiate Athletic Association Swimmer of the Year honors in her first three years at the university. Many claimed that Natalie was undefeated in college competition before she was defeated by Kirsty Coventry at the 2004 NCAA’s, but she was in fact defeated by Misty Hyman, Maritza Correia, and Shelly Ripple-Johnson during her freshman campaign.

She recently won a gold medal at the 2004 Olympics in the women’s 100 meter backstroke event and was a member of the silver medal women’s 4×100 meter freestyle relay with Kara Lynn Joyce, Amanda Weir, and Jenny Thompson. She also broke a world record and won gold as a member of the 4×200 meter freestyle relay. Her lead-off time was better than the time that won gold in the 200 meter freestyle individual event.

Natalie is partly of Filipino ancestry. Her grandmother, Zenaida Bohn, hails from Meycauayan, Bulacan.