Amanda Jo Weir (born March 11, 1986) is an American competition
swimmer, Olympic silver medalist, world champion, and former world record-holder. She was a member of the
2004 and 2012 United States Olympic teams, winning two silver medals at the 2004 Games and a bronze medal in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay at the
2012 Summer Olympics and a silver medal in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay at the
2016 Summer Olympics.
Career
Born in
Davenport, Iowa, Weir started swimming while the family lived in
Apple Valley, Minnesota
Apple Valley is a city in northwestern Dakota County in the State of Minnesota, and a suburb of the Twin Cities. The population was 56,374 at the 2020 census, making it the 17th most populous city in Minnesota. In 2014, Money.com' named Apple ...
.
Weir holds many of the sprint freestyle age-group records for
USA Swimming
USA Swimming is the national governing body for competitive swimming in the United States. It is charged with selecting the United States Olympic Swimming team and any other teams that officially represent the United States, as well as the overal ...
, setting her first record at age 12 in the 50-yard freestyle in 23.17 seconds. She attended
Brookwood High School in
Snellville, Georgia
Snellville is a city in Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States, east of Atlanta. The population was 18,242 at the 2010 census, and in 2019 the estimated population was 20,077. It is a developed suburb of Atlanta and a part of the Atlanta metro ...
, and led the Brookwood swim team to four consecutive Georgia Class 5A state championships.
At the
2004 Summer Olympics, Weir swam the third leg for the U.S. team in the women's 4×100-meter freestyle relay. Leading after her leg of the relay, the U.S. team finished second to the Australians, setting an American record with their finishing time. Weir also earned a silver medal by swimming in the preliminary heats of the 4×100-meter medley relay and helping her team qualify for the final.
Weir enrolled as a freshman at the
University of Georgia
, mottoeng = "To teach, to serve, and to inquire into the nature of things.""To serve" was later added to the motto without changing the seal; the Latin motto directly translates as "To teach and to inquire into the nature of things."
, establ ...
in 2004, where her team dominated the 2005
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
championships; Weir anchored four of the unprecedented five winning Georgia relay teams. She was recognized as the Atlanta Amateur Athlete of the Year for 2005. Weir left the University of Georgia after her first year and transferred to the
University of Southern California
, mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it"
, religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist
, established =
, accreditation = WSCUC
, type = Private research university
, academic_affiliations =
, endowment = $8.1 ...
in 2006. After a single semester at USC, Weir decided to end her college swimming career to begin swimming professionally.
At the 2006 ConocoPhillips USA Swimming National Championship, Weir broke the American record in the 100-meter freestyle with a time of 53.58.
At the
2012 United States Olympic Trials in Omaha, Nebraska, Weir made the U.S. Olympic team for the second time by finishing fifth in the 100-meter freestyle with a time of 54.41, which qualified her to swim in the 4×100-meter freestyle as a member of the U.S. relay team. At the
2012 Summer Olympics in London, she earned a bronze medal as a member of the U.S. team in the
women's 4×100-meter freestyle relay.
In 2016, she won a silver medal at the Olympic Games in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay.
Relation to Burl Ives
Amanda Weir is the great niece of
Burl Ives
Burl Icle Ivanhoe Ives (June 14, 1909 – April 14, 1995) was an American musician, actor, and author with a career that spanned more than six decades.
Ives began his career as an itinerant singer and guitarist, eventually launching his own rad ...
.
See also
*
List of Olympic medalists in swimming (women)
This is the complete list of women's Olympic medalists in swimming.
Current program
50 metre freestyle
100 metre freestyle
200 metre freestyle
400 metre freestyle
800 metre freestyle
1500 metre freestyle
100 metre backstroke
2 ...
*
List of Pan American Games records in swimming
Listed below is a complete list of the Pan American Games records in swimming, ratified by the Pan American Sports Organization (PASO).
Men
Women
Mixed relay
See also
* Swimming at the Pan American ...
*
List of United States records in swimming
There are two different kinds of swimming records in the United States and certified by USA Swimming:
*USA record, more commonly referred to in the US as the American record: the fastest time by an American swimmer.
*US Open record: The fastest ti ...
*
List of University of Georgia people
This list of University of Georgia people includes alumni, affiliates and current students of the University of Georgia. Honorary degree recipients are not included.
Chief executives and presidents of the University of Georgia
Alumni
Arts, ...
*
List of University of Southern California people
This is a list of notable alumni, faculty, and students, from the University of Southern California. Those individuals who qualify for multiple categories have been placed under the section for which they are best known.
Academia
Architectu ...
*
*
World record progression 4 × 100 metres medley relay
This article includes the world record progression for the 4×100 metres medley relay, and it shows the chronological history of world record times in that competitive swimming event. The 4×100 metres medley relay is a medley race in which each o ...
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Weir, Amanda
1986 births
Living people
American female freestyle swimmers
Georgia Bulldogs women's swimmers
Medalists at the FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m)
Medalists at the 2012 Summer Olympics
Medalists at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in swimming
Olympic silver medalists for the United States in swimming
People from Snellville, Georgia
Sportspeople from Davenport, Iowa
Swimmers at the 2003 Pan American Games
Swimmers at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Swimmers at the 2012 Summer Olympics
Swimmers at the 2016 Summer Olympics
USC Trojans women's swimmers
World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming
World record holders in swimming
Swimmers at the 2015 Pan American Games
Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States
Medalists at the 2016 Summer Olympics
Pan American Games medalists in swimming
People from Apple Valley, Minnesota
Sportspeople from the Atlanta metropolitan area
Medalists at the 2003 Pan American Games
Medalists at the 2015 Pan American Games