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Chris Jacobs (swimmer)

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For other people named Chris Jacobs, see Chris Jacobs (disambiguation).

Chris Jacobs
Personal information
Full nameChristopher Charles Jacobs
Nickname"Chris"
National teamUnited States
Born (1964-09-25) September 25, 1964 (age 60)
Livingston, New Jersey, U.S.
Height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight181 lb (82 kg)
SpouseMarie Sheehan (1992 - 2006)
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesFreestyle
College teamUniversity of Texas
Medal record
Men's swimming
Representing  United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1988 Seoul 4×100 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 1988 Seoul 4×100 m medley
Silver medal – second place 1988 Seoul 100 m freestyle
Pan Pacific Championships
Gold medal – first place 1987 Brisbane 4×100 m freestyle

Christopher Charles Jacobs (born September 25, 1964) is an American former competition swimmer, two-time Olympic champion, and former world record-holder.

Early life and education

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Jacobs was born in Livingston, New Jersey, and attended Newark Academy. He was a member of the Texas Longhorns swimming and diving team. Jacobs suffered from shoulder pain and struggled with drug and alcohol addiction as a college student and dropped out during his junior year. After completing a rehabilitation program in New Jersey, he returned to the University of Texas and resumed his swimming career.[1][2]

Career

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Jacobs won two gold medals and a silver while representing the United States at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. He received his first gold medal as the lead swimmer for the winning U.S. team in the men's 4×100-meter freestyle relay, together with teammates Troy Dalbey, Tom Jager and Matt Biondi. The four Americans set a new world record of 3:16.53 in the event final. He then won another gold medal swimming the anchor freestyle leg of the men's 4×100-meter medley relay for the first-place U.S. team of David Berkoff (backstroke), Richard Schroeder (breaststroke), and Matt Biondi (butterfly). Jacobs and the medley relay team set another new world record of 3:36.93. Individually, he received a silver medal for his second-place performance in the men's 100-meter freestyle event, finishing in 49.08 seconds.[3]

Jacobs is commonly credited as one of the first athletes to obtain an Olympic tattoo, following his performance in the 1988 Seoul Games.[4][5] The tattoo of the five interlocking Olympic rings has since become common among athletes to represent their participation in the games.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Chris Jacobs OS". www.njsportsheroes.com. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  2. ^ Anderson, Jared (May 4, 2020). "Chris Jacobs, The Godfather of the Olympic Rings Tattoo". SwimSwam. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  3. ^ Frank Litsky, "The Seoul Olympics; Swimmer Outraces His Past," The New York Times (September 18, 1988). Retrieved November 11, 2012.
  4. ^ Crouse, Karen (July 24, 2012). "U.S. Swimmers Go for Gold, and a Tattoo". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on June 18, 2024. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  5. ^ Given, karen (August 19, 2016). "Five Rings, The Yakuza, And A Nipple-Sized Maple Leaf: The Olympic Tattoo Tradition". www.wbur.org. Archived from the original on June 18, 2024. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
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