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A tribute to African American swimmers in honor of Black History Month

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African American SwimmerSince 1926, February celebrates and honors how African Americans have contributed to American society, culture and tradition. During Black History Month or National African American Appreciation Month, we recognize those who have helped unify and strengthen our country, and this includes phenomenal African American swimmers.

In 2002, Maritza Correia (now Maritza McClendon), a former teammate of mine at the University of Georgia, became the first African American woman to break an American record in swimming.  Two years later, Maritza became the first African American to make the U.S. Olympic Team and medal, winning a silver medal in the 4×100 freestyle relay.

Maritza’s success has opened the doors for others to follow.

On the men’s side, Cullen Jones (two-time Olympian and two-time Olympic medalist), has been one of the world’s best sprinters for over a decade and was the first African American to hold a world record (2006; 4×100 free relay). Jones also spends time advocating for water safety, especially in urban areas.  

Following in Cullen’s footsteps, Reece Whitley, a 16-year-old, 6’ 8” breaststroker is well on his way to international prowess.  Whitley was the Sports-Illustrated-for-Kids Sports Kid of the Year in 2015 and represented the United States at the World Junior Championships last year.

The most recent noteworthy event happened last spring at the Division I NCAA Championships — arguably the fastest meet on U.S. soil each year.  Simone Manual, Lia Neal and Natalie Hinds (all African American women), swept the podium in the 100-yard freestyle.  

Keep an eye out for all three of these women at notable 2016 swimming competitions including the US Olympic trials and the Olympics this year.

I would be wrong not to mention the many other African American swimmers who have been at the highest level of the sport — those who have helped big names like Correia and Jones pave the way for the very welcomed, diverse generation in elite swimming. These include but are not limited to:

Retired athletes:  Byron Davis, Sabir Muhammad, Michael Norment, Atiba Wade, Allison Terry, Tanica Jameson, Kelley Robins, Brielle White, and Neka Mabry and Rachel Myco (both of whom I had the pleasure of swimming with at University of Georgia).

Currently swimming:  Dax Hill, Giles Smith, Arianna Vaderpool Wallace, and Alia Atkinson.

The swimming world has grown and diversified substantially. In the past 11 years, USA Swimming has increased its athlete membership by 45 percent with African American membership increasing by 55 percent and Hispanic, Latino and mixed ethnicity membership increasing by 77 percent.  

This illustrates the impact that Maritza Correia, Cullen Jones, Reece Whitley, Simone Manual, Lia Neal, Natalie Hinds and many others are playing in influencing the next generation of swimmers.

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