About Nathan
Nathan Adrian, Photo by First Last
Nathan Adrian is one of the premier sprint swimmers in the World. The owner of eight Olympic medals (5g, 1s, 2b), Nathan was Co-Captain of the 2016 Olympic Swimming Team and was one of the top academic sportsman during his collegiate tenure. Nathan continues to be successful both as an athlete and a leader to this day.
Early Life
Nathan was born on December 7, 1988 in Bremerton, Washington. His father, Jim, is a retired nuclear engineer and his mother, Cecilia (who was born and raised in Hong Kong), is a retired nurse for the Bremerton School District. Nathan has an older sister, Donella, and an older brother, Justin.
Nathan started taking swim lessons at about the age of two and started competing when he was five. He swam for the Olympic Aquatic Club and later the Tacoma Swim Club. As Nathan got older, he reduced the amount of time he was committing to Nerf Wars & Flashlight Tag and got more serious about honing his swimming talents. After a successful swimming career in high school, where he was the state champion in the 100 freestyle as a freshman, broke the state record in the 200 free as a senior, and held every individual record at Bremerton High School, Nathan enrolled at U.C. Berkeley.
Road to the Olympics
Nathan had a solid start at Cal, where he competed in three individual events and three relays at the 2007 NCAA’s. However, it was during the following year that Nathan really excelled. After making the difficult decision to take the next year off from Cal, with the support of his family, Nathan relocated to the Florida Keys, where he trained at The Race Club under his former coach at Cal, Mike Bottom. While at The Race Club, Nathan made great progress . . . not just with his swimming, but also as a person, thanks to the exposure to an elite group of swimmers from a variety of backgrounds, all of whom “had been there.” Through watchful observation of the likes of Gary Hall, Jr., Michael Cavic, and Duje Draganja, Nathan was able to elevate mentally to a level he had not been before.
About three months before the 2008 Olympic Trials, Nathan competed at the World Short Course Championships in Manchester, UK, where he won the 100 free. This proved to be a very strong indication of things to come. About two months later, in the final preparatory meet before the trials, Nathan had his breakthrough. He won the 50 free at the Omaha Invitational, beating Hall, Draganja, and Roland Schoeman – a triumvirate that had won the gold, silver, and bronze medals, respectively, in the 50 free at the 2004 Athens Olympics. Nathan’s parents, who watched the race on a laptop at a coffee shop in Bremerton, started thinking that perhaps they would need to get their papers in order for a trip to Beijing in the next few months.
Although Nathan did not make the 2008 Olympic team in the 50 free, the mental maturity he had developed gave him the edge he needed in the 100 free. After tying for 9th in the semi-finals, a scratch from the top 8 put Nathan into a swim-off for the final position. After prevailing in the swim-off by nine one-hundredths of a second, Nathan went on to place fourth in the final, making his first Olympic team. You can watch the race here and here Nathan tell the story of this race here.
Nathan went on to win a gold medal in Beijing as a preliminary swimmer in the now well known 4 x 100 Meter Free Relay. As satisfying as it was to be an Olympic Gold Medalist, he did not want to be a “prelims only” swimmer in the future, having to watch the final race from the stands. Thus, Nathan came back from the 2008 Olympics very hungry.
Collegiate Experience
Upon returning from Beijing, Nathan was only 19 years old and still had three years of college eligibility remaining. He also had a new coach at Cal, Dave Durden. Under Durden’s guidance, both Nathan and Cal’s swimming program became national powerhouses. Between 2009 and 2011, Nathan captured 5 individual NCAA titles, set two American Records (in the 50 and 100 yard Freestyle), and was a member of multiple championship relays. In 2011, Cal won their first NCAA Championship in over 30 years, with Nathan being named Swimmer of the Meet. You can read more about Nathan's collegiate experience and watch the races here.
In addition to his success in the pool, Nathan also performed well in the classroom. Nathan was a 3 time First Team PAC-10 All-Academic and was named to the CoSida ESPN Magazine All-Academic All-American. Perhaps his greatest academic honor, however, was the recipient of the 201 1 Neufeld Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award. This award is given to the U.C Berkeley graduating male and female student-athletes with the highest cumulative grade-point averages. It is quite an honor.
It was also during this time that Nathan appeared on an episode of MythBusters, helping Adam and Jamie determine the impact swimming in syrup has on ones swimming mobility. You can see Nathan swim in syrup here and/or buy it now at Amazon.
2012 Olympics
In 2011, after completing his college eligibility, Nathan went Pro, signing with Speedo. With academics behind him and his first professional contract under his belt, Nathan became focused on making the 2012 Olympic Team. With the goal of qualifying for the Olympics in both the 50 and 100 Meter Freestyle, Nathan came up short in 50 Free at the Olympic Trials, finishing in third place. Despite this disappointment, Nathan was still swimming in three events in London: the 100 Meter Freestyle and the 400 Freestyle & Medley Relays. His goal was to win an individual Olympic medal in the 100 Freestyle. And Nathan did just that.
After having qualified 2nd in the semi-finals, Nathan was placed in the lane next to the heavily favored Australian, James Magnussen, who had qualified first. Nathan was going to have to be out quickly if he was going to stay with Magnussen, who was well known for having a very fast second half of the race. Not only was Nathan able to hang on, he caught up and passed Magnussen on the final stroke of the race, winning Gold. In a race voted "Most Exciting" of the London Olympics by an on-line poll conducted by NBC Olympics, this victory gave Nathan extensive media coverage. Nathan also received the Race of the Year Award at the 2012 Golden Goggle Awards.
In addition to the 100 Freestyle, Nathan was also part of the 400 Meter Freestyle Relay that won the silver medal and also anchored the Gold medal winning 400 Meter Medley Relay.
To learn more about Nathan's path to the 2012 Olympics, the Games themselves and his post Olympics experience, including having a street named after him in his hometown, Bremerton, you can watch this multi-part documentary produced by the U.S. Olympic Team.
2016 Olympics
Immediately following the 2012 Games, Nathan committed himself to training for the 2016 Games to be held in Rio de Janeiro. During each of years between London and Rio, Nathan represented the USA in both World Championship events held in 2013 (Barcelona, Spain) and 2015 (Kazan, Russia), as well as the 2014 Pan Pacific Championships in Australia. In addition to picking up several medals along the way, Nathan broke the American Record in the 50 Freestyle in 2015, becoming the fastest American swimmer ever. You can watch that race right here.
With an American Record to his name, Nathan found himself favored to win both the 50 and 100 Freestyle events at the 2016 Olympic Trials. With all the experience gained from the 2008 and 2012 trials, Nathan was able to win both events and head to his third Olympic Games.
With two previous Olympic Games to his credit and having been on the National Team for over eight years, Nathan was considered an experienced veteran. Thus, was he called upon by his teammates to Co-Captain the 2016 Olympic Swimming Team. With responsibilities beyond just swimming fast, Nathan was charged with presenting a case to all U.S. Team Captains across all Olympic sports that the U.S. Flag Bearer for the 2016 Olympic Opening Ceremony should be Michael Phelps. Nathan was successful and Michael went on to carry the Flag during the opening ceremony.
In the pool, Nathan was equally successful. He started the meet off by anchoring Team USA's 400 Freestyle Relay. It had been a life long dream to bring home Gold in this event and Nathan was very proud to have swum the final leg in this race whilst achieving that dream. Nathan finished the meet by anchoring the 400 Medley Relay, also winning Gold, in what was Michael Phelps final swimming race. In between these two Gold medals, Nathan swam both the 50 and 100 Freestyle events, earning Bronze medals in each of them. Here is a short video summarizing Nathan's Rio Highlights.
Nathan has the distinction of having medaled in every event he has swum at the Olympics.
Post-Rio and Marriage
Following his success at Rio, Nathan has continued to train, with an eye on making the 2020 Olympic Team in Tokyo. Nathan has continued to represent Team USA in International competitions. In 2017, he participated in the World Championships in Budapest, winning Silver in the 100 Freestyle and earning several relay Gold medals. In 2018, Nathan attended the Pan Pacific Games in Tokyo and is also slated to attend the 2019 World Championships in Gwangju, South Korea.
On September 15, 2018, following his return from the Pan Pacific Games, Nathan married his long time girlfriend, Hallie Ivester, in Napa Valley, California.
In December 2018, Nathan was diagnosed with testicular cancer. With a good prognosis for recover, Nathan has become an advocate for men's health issues.
Key Honors and Accolades
Over the years, Nathan has enjoyed many honors and accolades, both in and out of the water. Here are a few of which he is especially proud:
- Team Co-Captain - United States Olympic Swimming Team (2016)
- Individual Olympic Gold Medalist – 100 Freestyle (London 2012)
- American Record Holder – 50 Freestyle (Kazan 2015)
- Invited to provide keynote speech for U.C Berkeley's 2018 Winter Commencement.
- Induction into the Asian Hall of Fame (Class of 2014)
- Member of the 2011 NCAA Men’s Championship Team - Cal's first NCAA Championship Win in 31 years
- Swimmer of the Meet - 2011 NCAA Men’s Championship
- 3X PAC-10 All Academic First Team
- 2X NCAA Division I Academic All American Award
- 2011 Recipient of the Neufeld Scholar Athlete of the Year Award
- Honor of having a street named after him in his home town of Bremerton, WA.
For more information on Nathan, please check out the following links:
Nathan's Official YouTube Channel - Extensive library of interviews, biographies, race videos and more.
Speedo - Biography of Nathan on the Speedo website.
Team USA - This has some great articles and good gallery.
USA Swimming - National Team Biography.
SwimSwam - In depth bio on Nathan at SwimSwam.com
UC Berkeley - Biography written for his Senior Year of Competition.
The are also some great fan sites you should check out!
Early Life
Nathan was born on December 7, 1988 in Bremerton, Washington. His father, Jim, is a retired nuclear engineer and his mother, Cecilia (who was born and raised in Hong Kong), is a retired nurse for the Bremerton School District. Nathan has an older sister, Donella, and an older brother, Justin.
Nathan started taking swim lessons at about the age of two and started competing when he was five. He swam for the Olympic Aquatic Club and later the Tacoma Swim Club. As Nathan got older, he reduced the amount of time he was committing to Nerf Wars & Flashlight Tag and got more serious about honing his swimming talents. After a successful swimming career in high school, where he was the state champion in the 100 freestyle as a freshman, broke the state record in the 200 free as a senior, and held every individual record at Bremerton High School, Nathan enrolled at U.C. Berkeley.
Road to the Olympics
Nathan had a solid start at Cal, where he competed in three individual events and three relays at the 2007 NCAA’s. However, it was during the following year that Nathan really excelled. After making the difficult decision to take the next year off from Cal, with the support of his family, Nathan relocated to the Florida Keys, where he trained at The Race Club under his former coach at Cal, Mike Bottom. While at The Race Club, Nathan made great progress . . . not just with his swimming, but also as a person, thanks to the exposure to an elite group of swimmers from a variety of backgrounds, all of whom “had been there.” Through watchful observation of the likes of Gary Hall, Jr., Michael Cavic, and Duje Draganja, Nathan was able to elevate mentally to a level he had not been before.
About three months before the 2008 Olympic Trials, Nathan competed at the World Short Course Championships in Manchester, UK, where he won the 100 free. This proved to be a very strong indication of things to come. About two months later, in the final preparatory meet before the trials, Nathan had his breakthrough. He won the 50 free at the Omaha Invitational, beating Hall, Draganja, and Roland Schoeman – a triumvirate that had won the gold, silver, and bronze medals, respectively, in the 50 free at the 2004 Athens Olympics. Nathan’s parents, who watched the race on a laptop at a coffee shop in Bremerton, started thinking that perhaps they would need to get their papers in order for a trip to Beijing in the next few months.
Although Nathan did not make the 2008 Olympic team in the 50 free, the mental maturity he had developed gave him the edge he needed in the 100 free. After tying for 9th in the semi-finals, a scratch from the top 8 put Nathan into a swim-off for the final position. After prevailing in the swim-off by nine one-hundredths of a second, Nathan went on to place fourth in the final, making his first Olympic team. You can watch the race here and here Nathan tell the story of this race here.
Nathan went on to win a gold medal in Beijing as a preliminary swimmer in the now well known 4 x 100 Meter Free Relay. As satisfying as it was to be an Olympic Gold Medalist, he did not want to be a “prelims only” swimmer in the future, having to watch the final race from the stands. Thus, Nathan came back from the 2008 Olympics very hungry.
Collegiate Experience
Upon returning from Beijing, Nathan was only 19 years old and still had three years of college eligibility remaining. He also had a new coach at Cal, Dave Durden. Under Durden’s guidance, both Nathan and Cal’s swimming program became national powerhouses. Between 2009 and 2011, Nathan captured 5 individual NCAA titles, set two American Records (in the 50 and 100 yard Freestyle), and was a member of multiple championship relays. In 2011, Cal won their first NCAA Championship in over 30 years, with Nathan being named Swimmer of the Meet. You can read more about Nathan's collegiate experience and watch the races here.
In addition to his success in the pool, Nathan also performed well in the classroom. Nathan was a 3 time First Team PAC-10 All-Academic and was named to the CoSida ESPN Magazine All-Academic All-American. Perhaps his greatest academic honor, however, was the recipient of the 201 1 Neufeld Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award. This award is given to the U.C Berkeley graduating male and female student-athletes with the highest cumulative grade-point averages. It is quite an honor.
It was also during this time that Nathan appeared on an episode of MythBusters, helping Adam and Jamie determine the impact swimming in syrup has on ones swimming mobility. You can see Nathan swim in syrup here and/or buy it now at Amazon.
2012 Olympics
In 2011, after completing his college eligibility, Nathan went Pro, signing with Speedo. With academics behind him and his first professional contract under his belt, Nathan became focused on making the 2012 Olympic Team. With the goal of qualifying for the Olympics in both the 50 and 100 Meter Freestyle, Nathan came up short in 50 Free at the Olympic Trials, finishing in third place. Despite this disappointment, Nathan was still swimming in three events in London: the 100 Meter Freestyle and the 400 Freestyle & Medley Relays. His goal was to win an individual Olympic medal in the 100 Freestyle. And Nathan did just that.
After having qualified 2nd in the semi-finals, Nathan was placed in the lane next to the heavily favored Australian, James Magnussen, who had qualified first. Nathan was going to have to be out quickly if he was going to stay with Magnussen, who was well known for having a very fast second half of the race. Not only was Nathan able to hang on, he caught up and passed Magnussen on the final stroke of the race, winning Gold. In a race voted "Most Exciting" of the London Olympics by an on-line poll conducted by NBC Olympics, this victory gave Nathan extensive media coverage. Nathan also received the Race of the Year Award at the 2012 Golden Goggle Awards.
In addition to the 100 Freestyle, Nathan was also part of the 400 Meter Freestyle Relay that won the silver medal and also anchored the Gold medal winning 400 Meter Medley Relay.
To learn more about Nathan's path to the 2012 Olympics, the Games themselves and his post Olympics experience, including having a street named after him in his hometown, Bremerton, you can watch this multi-part documentary produced by the U.S. Olympic Team.
2016 Olympics
Immediately following the 2012 Games, Nathan committed himself to training for the 2016 Games to be held in Rio de Janeiro. During each of years between London and Rio, Nathan represented the USA in both World Championship events held in 2013 (Barcelona, Spain) and 2015 (Kazan, Russia), as well as the 2014 Pan Pacific Championships in Australia. In addition to picking up several medals along the way, Nathan broke the American Record in the 50 Freestyle in 2015, becoming the fastest American swimmer ever. You can watch that race right here.
With an American Record to his name, Nathan found himself favored to win both the 50 and 100 Freestyle events at the 2016 Olympic Trials. With all the experience gained from the 2008 and 2012 trials, Nathan was able to win both events and head to his third Olympic Games.
With two previous Olympic Games to his credit and having been on the National Team for over eight years, Nathan was considered an experienced veteran. Thus, was he called upon by his teammates to Co-Captain the 2016 Olympic Swimming Team. With responsibilities beyond just swimming fast, Nathan was charged with presenting a case to all U.S. Team Captains across all Olympic sports that the U.S. Flag Bearer for the 2016 Olympic Opening Ceremony should be Michael Phelps. Nathan was successful and Michael went on to carry the Flag during the opening ceremony.
In the pool, Nathan was equally successful. He started the meet off by anchoring Team USA's 400 Freestyle Relay. It had been a life long dream to bring home Gold in this event and Nathan was very proud to have swum the final leg in this race whilst achieving that dream. Nathan finished the meet by anchoring the 400 Medley Relay, also winning Gold, in what was Michael Phelps final swimming race. In between these two Gold medals, Nathan swam both the 50 and 100 Freestyle events, earning Bronze medals in each of them. Here is a short video summarizing Nathan's Rio Highlights.
Nathan has the distinction of having medaled in every event he has swum at the Olympics.
Post-Rio and Marriage
Following his success at Rio, Nathan has continued to train, with an eye on making the 2020 Olympic Team in Tokyo. Nathan has continued to represent Team USA in International competitions. In 2017, he participated in the World Championships in Budapest, winning Silver in the 100 Freestyle and earning several relay Gold medals. In 2018, Nathan attended the Pan Pacific Games in Tokyo and is also slated to attend the 2019 World Championships in Gwangju, South Korea.
On September 15, 2018, following his return from the Pan Pacific Games, Nathan married his long time girlfriend, Hallie Ivester, in Napa Valley, California.
In December 2018, Nathan was diagnosed with testicular cancer. With a good prognosis for recover, Nathan has become an advocate for men's health issues.
Key Honors and Accolades
Over the years, Nathan has enjoyed many honors and accolades, both in and out of the water. Here are a few of which he is especially proud:
- Team Co-Captain - United States Olympic Swimming Team (2016)
- Individual Olympic Gold Medalist – 100 Freestyle (London 2012)
- American Record Holder – 50 Freestyle (Kazan 2015)
- Invited to provide keynote speech for U.C Berkeley's 2018 Winter Commencement.
- Induction into the Asian Hall of Fame (Class of 2014)
- Member of the 2011 NCAA Men’s Championship Team - Cal's first NCAA Championship Win in 31 years
- Swimmer of the Meet - 2011 NCAA Men’s Championship
- 3X PAC-10 All Academic First Team
- 2X NCAA Division I Academic All American Award
- 2011 Recipient of the Neufeld Scholar Athlete of the Year Award
- Honor of having a street named after him in his home town of Bremerton, WA.
For more information on Nathan, please check out the following links:
Nathan's Official YouTube Channel - Extensive library of interviews, biographies, race videos and more.
Speedo - Biography of Nathan on the Speedo website.
Team USA - This has some great articles and good gallery.
USA Swimming - National Team Biography.
SwimSwam - In depth bio on Nathan at SwimSwam.com
UC Berkeley - Biography written for his Senior Year of Competition.
The are also some great fan sites you should check out!
The Adrian Family at the Olympics in London
