Sylvia Úrsula Poll Ahrens (born September 24, 1970 in
Managua, Nicaragua
Managua () is the capital city, capital and largest city of Nicaragua, and one of the List of largest cities in Central America, largest cities in Central America. Located on the shores of Lake Managua, the city had an estimated population of 1, ...
) is an Olympic medalist and a
national record holding swimmer from
Costa Rica
Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...
. At the
1988 Olympics, she won Costa Rica's first Olympic medal, when she garnered the silver in the women's 200 free.
[Silvia Poll](_blank)
sports-reference.com As of 2009, she and her younger sister
Claudia are Costa Rica's only Olympic medalists.
Sylvia also swam for Costa Rica at the
1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympics (, ), officially the Games of the XXV Olympiad (, ) and officially branded as Barcelona '92, were an international multi-sport event held from 25 July to 9 August 1992 in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Beginning in 1994 ...
.
She also won a total number of 8 medals at the
1987 Pan American Games
The 1987 Pan American Games, officially known as the X Pan American Games, was a major international multi-sport event held in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, on August 7–23, 1987. Over 4,300 athletes from 38 countries in the Americas ...
; and 2 of her times from those Games still stand as
Costa Rican Records in 2009 (100 free and 100 back).
Poll was born in Managua, Nicaragua. Her parents were Germans and they settled in Nicaragua where Sylvia and her younger sister Claudia were born. After the
1972 Nicaragua earthquake
The 1972 Nicaragua earthquake occurred at 12:29:44 a.m. local time (06:29:44 UTC) on 23 December near Managua, the capital of Nicaragua. It had a moment magnitude of 6.3 and a maximum MSK intensity of IX (''Destructive''). The epicenter w ...
and rising political tensions, Sylvia's parents decided to move south to Costa Rica only shortly after Claudia's birth. She, her sister Claudia, and their mother are not related to
Marlene Ahrens, another Olympic athlete and medalist and another Latin American-born daughter of German settlers.
Sylvia Poll is a famous backstroker and freestyle swimmer for
Costa Rica
Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...
, who won the silver medal in the Swimming at the 1988 Summer Olympics Women's 200 meter freestyle at the
1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIV Olympiad () and officially branded as Seoul 1988 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 17 September to 2 October 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. 159 nations were represe ...
in
Seoul, South Korea
Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...
. Her silver medal was the first medal ever for a Costa Rican athlete.
At the
1986 Central American and Caribbean Games she set the
Games Records in the women's 200 and 400 frees (2:02.80 and 4:17.98). Both records would last 20 years, until her sister Claudia bettered the times at the
2006 Games. Also at the '86 CACs, Silvia set the Games Record in the 100 m and 200 m backstroke (1:04.43, 2:19.32) that also stood until 2006.
Sylvia Poll is now a member of the ‘Champions for Peace’ club, a group of 54 famous elite athletes committed to serving peace in the world through sport, created by
Peace and Sport
Peace and Sport (also known as "L’Organisation pour la Paix par le Sport") is a sports organization based in Monaco under the patronage of Prince Albert II of Monaco.
Ivorian Football player, footballer Didier Drogba became the organization's ...
, a
Monaco
Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco, is a Sovereign state, sovereign city-state and European microstates, microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Regions of Italy, Italian region of Liguria, in Western Europe, ...
-based international organization.
Peace and Sport
/ref>
See also
* List of Costa Rican records in swimming
References
www.databaseolympics.com
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Poll, Sylvia
1970 births
Living people
Nicaraguan people of German descent
Sportspeople from Managua
Costa Rican people of German descent
Costa Rican female backstroke swimmers
Costa Rican female freestyle swimmers
Swimmers at the 1988 Summer Olympics
Swimmers at the 1992 Summer Olympics
Swimmers at the 1987 Pan American Games
Swimmers at the 1991 Pan American Games
Olympic silver medalists for Costa Rica
Olympic swimmers for Costa Rica
Nicaraguan emigrants to Costa Rica
Medalists at the 1988 Summer Olympics
Pan American Games gold medalists for Costa Rica
Pan American Games silver medalists for Costa Rica
Pan American Games bronze medalists for Costa Rica
Olympic silver medalists in swimming
Pan American Games gold medalists in swimming
Pan American Games silver medalists in swimming
Pan American Games bronze medalists in swimming
Central American and Caribbean Games gold medalists for Costa Rica
Central American and Caribbean Games medalists in swimming
Competitors at the 1986 Central American and Caribbean Games
Medalists at the 1987 Pan American Games
Medalists at the 1991 Pan American Games