Happy Birthday 2003 Honor Swimmer Tom Dolan!

Tom Dolan (USA)

2006 Honor Swimmer

FOR THE RECORD: 1996 OLYMPIC GAMES: gold (400m I.M.), 7th (200m I.M.); 2000 OLYMPIC GAMES: gold (400m I.M.), silver (200m I.M.); TWO WORLD RECORDS: 400m I.M; 1994 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold (400m I.M.), 8th (400m freestyle); 1998 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold (400m I.M.), 5th (800m freestyle); 1993 PAN PACIFIC CHAMPIONSHIPS: silver (400m I.M.); 1995 PAN PACIFIC CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold (400m, 200m I.M.), silver (200m backstroke, 800m freestyle), 5th (400m freestyle); 14 U.S. NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: 400 freestyle (3), 800 freestyle (4), 1500 freestyle (1), 200 I.M. (2), 400 I.M. (4); NINE NCAA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: 400 I.M. (2), 500 freestyle (2), 1650 free (2), 800 freestyle relay (3); FIVE AMERICAN RECORDS.

Tom Dolan of Curl-Burke Swim Club and the University of Michigan held the 400m I.M. World Record longer than any other swimmer in history, eight years, and that includes Hall of Famers Gary Hall, Sr., Tamas Darnyi, Alex Baumann, Jesse Vassallo, Charlie Hickcox, Dick Roth and Ted Stickles. He is only the second swimmer to win successive 400m I.M. Olympic gold medals (1996, 2000), along with Hungary's Darnyi. Tom also won the Olympic 200m I.M. silver medal in Sydney.

At 6'6" tall and with 3% body fat, Tom was diagnosed with Exercise Induced Asthma and a 20% windpipe obstruction, which would side-line the normal person. Tom only trained harder and exhaustion, dizziness and occasional blackouts never stopped him from swimming. Coached by Rick Curl and Jon Urbanchek, Tom also set two world records, won two gold medals in World Championship swimming, won nine NCAA National Championships and 14 U.S. National Championships.

Today, the Tom Dolan Swim School operates two, custom-built, state-of-the-art swim schools in Northern Virginia that teach swimmers from 3 months all the way up to adults. Students learn solid fundamentals that are essential for water-safety, recreational and competitive swimming.

Happy Birthday Tom!