Clark Smith (born April 17, 1995) is a former American
swimmer
Swimming is an individual or team racing sport that requires the use of one's entire body to move through water. The sport takes place in pools or open water (e.g., in a sea or lake). Competitive swimming is one of the most popular Olympic ...
who specialized in freestyle and butterfly. He earned an Olympic gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. He is the son of John and
Tori Smith, who both swam for the
University of Texas
The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas, United States. Founded in 1883, it is the flagship institution of the University of Texas System. With 53,082 students as of fall 2 ...
. His father was an NCAA champion for the Texas Longhorns. His mother represented the US at the 1984 Summer Olympics in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
.
In May 2013 as a senior in high school Smith broke the high school national record (NISCA) in the 100-yard butterfly in a time of 46.42 seconds. As a freshman at the University of Texas where he swam under head coach
Eddie Reese, and associate coach
Kris Kubik, Smith failed to qualify for the 2014 NCAA Championships held in Austin, Texas as the Longhorns finished second place in the team standings.
The next year, Smith not only qualified for the meet but won an individual title in the 500-yard freestyle at the 2015 NCAA Championships. Helping the Longhorns win the overall team title. At the 2016 US Olympic Trials, Smith qualified for the 4x200 free relay, and earned a gold medal in the event in Rio.
He has simultaneously held the American records in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 4:08.42, the 1000-yard freestyle with a time of 8:33.93, the 1650-yard freestyle with a time of 14:22.41,
and the 800-yard freestyle relay with a time of 6:08.61. Three of the four records were set during the 2017 NCAA Championships his senior year.
References
External links
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1995 births
Living people
Swimmers at the 2016 Summer Olympics
Olympic gold medalists for the United States in swimming
Swimmers from Atlanta
Medalists at the 2016 Summer Olympics
World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming
American male freestyle swimmers
American male butterfly swimmers
21st-century American sportsmen
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