Dana Whitney Vollmer (born November 13, 1987) is a former American competition swimmer, five-time Olympic gold medalist, and former world record-holder. At the
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympics ( el, Θερινοί Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες 2004, ), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad ( el, Αγώνες της 28ης Ολυμπιάδας, ) and also known as Athens 2004 ( el, Αθήνα 2004), ...
, she won a gold medal as a member of the winning United States team in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay that set the world record in the event. Eight years later at the
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...
, Vollmer set the world record on her way to the gold medal in the 100-meter butterfly, and also won golds in the 4×100-meter medley relay and 4×200-meter freestyle relay. She won three medals including a gold at the
2016 Summer Olympics
The 2016 Summer Olympics ( pt, Jogos Olímpicos de Verão de 2016), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad ( pt, Jogos da XXXI Olimpíada) and also known as Rio 2016, was an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 20 ...
in Rio de Janeiro.
Vollmer won a total of thirty two medals in major international competitions, including nineteen gold medals, eight silver, and five bronze, spanning the Olympics, the
World Championships
A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...
, the
Pan American Games
The Pan American Games (also known colloquially as the Pan Am Games) is a continental multi-sport event in the Americas featuring summer sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The competition is held ...
, the
Pan Pacific Championships, and the
Goodwill Games, making her one of the most decorated female Olympian in swimming discipline.
Early years
Vollmer was born in
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse ( ) is a City (New York), city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, Onondaga County, New York, United States. It is the fifth-most populous city in the state of New York following New York City, Buffalo, New York, Buffa ...
,
and raised in the
Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex region in
Granbury, Texas
Granbury is a city in and the county seat of Hood County, Texas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city's population was 10,958, and it is the principal city of the Granbury micropolitan statistical area. Granbury is named after Confede ...
. As an age group swimmer, Vollmer swam for coach Ron Forrest at the Fort Worth Area Swim Team (FAST).
In 2003, Vollmer underwent heart surgery to correct a condition called
supraventricular tachycardia, which produces a quickened pulse rate of about 240 beats per minute. After that surgery, an
electrocardiogram indicated to her
cardiologist
Cardiology () is a branch of medicine that deals with disorders of the heart and the cardiovascular system. The field includes medical diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular hear ...
s that she might have
Long QT syndrome
Long QT syndrome (LQTS) is a condition affecting repolarization (relaxing) of the heart after a heartbeat, giving rise to an abnormally lengthy QT interval. It results in an increased risk of an irregular heartbeat which can result in fainting, d ...
. Further testing ruled out the condition. Her physicians recommended that she always have a
defibrillator
Defibrillation is a treatment for life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias, specifically ventricular fibrillation (V-Fib) and non-perfusing ventricular tachycardia (V-Tach). A defibrillator delivers a dose of electric current (often called a ''coun ...
at the poolside whenever she swims in case of a heart emergency.
College career
Vollmer first enrolled in the
University of Florida
The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...
, and swam for the
Florida Gators swimming and diving
The Florida Gators swimming and diving program represents the University of Florida in the aquatics sports of swimming and diving. The program includes separate men's and women's teams, both of which compete in Division I of the National Coll ...
team under coach
Gregg Troy
Gregg Troy (born December 19, 1950) is an American professional and Olympic swimming coach. As of April 2021, he is the head coach for the Cali Condors, which is part of the International Swimming League. Until 2018, he was the head coach of the ...
in 2006. As a freshman, she earned four honorable mention All-American honors. After her first year, she transferred to the
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...
, where she finished her
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 ...
career competing for the
California Golden Bears
The California Golden Bears are the athletic teams that represent the University of California, Berkeley. Referred to in athletic competition as ''California'' or ''Cal'', the university fields 30 varsity athletic programs and various club te ...
swimming and diving team under coach
Teri McKeever
Teri McKeever (born c. 1962) is an American college and Olympic swimming coach. She has been the head coach of the California Golden Bears women's swimming team at the University of California, Berkeley, since 1993. Her Cal Bears teams have won ...
from 2007 to 2009. Vollmer was the Golden Bears' most valuable swimmer for three consecutive years, the
Pac-10
The Pac-12 Conference is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference, that operates in the Western United States, participating in 24 sports at the NCAA Division I level. Its College football, football teams compete in the NCAA D ...
Swimmer of the Year in 2009, and the 2008–09 recipient of the
Honda Sports Award for Swimming and Diving, recognizing her as the outstanding college female swimmer of the year. She earned 20 All-American honors as a Golden Bear swimmer, won individual NCAA championships in the 100-yard butterfly in 2007 and 100-yard and 200-yard freestyles in 2009, and led the Golden Bears to their first NCAA team championship in 2009.
Swimming career
Early career
At the age of 12, Vollmer was the youngest swimmer to compete at the 2000 U.S. Olympic Trials, but did not qualify for the U.S. Olympic team. She was also the youngest swimming competitor a year later at the
2001 Goodwill Games.
2004 Summer Olympics
At the
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympics ( el, Θερινοί Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες 2004, ), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad ( el, Αγώνες της 28ης Ολυμπιάδας, ) and also known as Athens 2004 ( el, Αθήνα 2004), ...
in Athens, Greece, Vollmer won a gold medal as a member of the winning U.S. team in
4×200-meter freestyle relay, together with
Natalie Coughlin
Natalie Anne Coughlin Hall (born August 23, 1982) is an American former competition swimmer and twelve-time Olympic medalist. While attending the University of California, Berkeley, she became the first woman ever to swim the 100-meter backstro ...
,
Carly Piper and
Kaitlin Sandeno
Kaitlin Shea Sandeno (born March 13, 1983) is an American former competition swimmer who is an Olympic gold medalist, world champion and former world record-holder. Sandeno was a member of the American team that set a new world record in the 4 ...
. In addition to winning the gold medal, the U.S. relay team broke the previous
world record
A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organization ...
in the event that had stood for 17 years.
2005–2008
At the
2007 World Aquatics Championships
The 2007 World Aquatics Championships, or the XII FINA World Championships, were held in Melbourne, Australia from 17 March to 1 April 2007. The competition took place at three locations in central Melbourne: the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic C ...
, Vollmer won a gold medal in the
4×200-meter freestyle relay. She also won the silver medal in the
4×100-meter freestyle relay and
4×100-meter medley relay.
Vollmer just missed making the 2008 Olympic team, placing seventh at the
2008 US Olympic Trials in the 200-meter freestyle with 1:58.67, 0.51 seconds behind the 6th-place finisher, 5th in the 100-meter butterfly with 58.64, and 9th in the 100-meter freestyle with 54.84, 0.03 seconds behind 8th place qualifier
Amanda Weir
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 t ...
.
2009–2011
On February 25, 2009, Vollmer set her first individual
American record, breaking
Natalie Coughlin
Natalie Anne Coughlin Hall (born August 23, 1982) is an American former competition swimmer and twelve-time Olympic medalist. While attending the University of California, Berkeley, she became the first woman ever to swim the 100-meter backstro ...
's 200-yard freestyle record with a time of 1:41.53.
At the
2009 World Championships in Rome, Italy, Vollmer won two medals, a silver and a bronze. In the
200-meter freestyle, Vollmer set an American record in the semi-final with a time of 1:55.29. In the final of the 200-meter freestyle, Vollmer placed third, and her American record was broken by
Allison Schmitt. In the
4×200-meter freestyle relay, Vollmer swam the leadoff leg in 1:55.29. The American team finished in second place behind China with a time of 7:42.56.
At the
2011 World Aquatics Championships
The 14th FINA World Championships () were held on 16–31 July 2011 in Shanghai, China at the Shanghai Oriental Sports Center. The 2011 World Championships featured five aquatics disciplines: swimming, water polo, diving, open water, and synchro ...
in Shanghai, Vollmer won a total of three medals, two gold medals and one silver. In her first event, the
4×100-meter freestyle relay, Vollmer won a silver medal with
Natalie Coughlin
Natalie Anne Coughlin Hall (born August 23, 1982) is an American former competition swimmer and twelve-time Olympic medalist. While attending the University of California, Berkeley, she became the first woman ever to swim the 100-meter backstro ...
,
Jessica Hardy
Jessica Adele Hardy Meichtry (born March 12, 1987) is an American competitive swimmer who specializes in breaststroke and freestyle events. Hardy earned a bronze medal in the 4×100-meter freestyle and a gold medal in the 4×100-meter medley r ...
, and
Missy Franklin
Melissa Franklin Johnson (born May 10, 1995) is an American former competition swimmer and five-time Olympic gold medalist. She formerly held the world record in the 200-meter backstroke (long course). As a member of the U.S. national swim team ...
. After setting the
national record in the semi-finals of the
100-meter butterfly (56.47), Vollmer won the gold medal in the final with a time of 56.87. In the
4×100-meter medley relay, Vollmer the gold medal along with
Natalie Coughlin
Natalie Anne Coughlin Hall (born August 23, 1982) is an American former competition swimmer and twelve-time Olympic medalist. While attending the University of California, Berkeley, she became the first woman ever to swim the 100-meter backstro ...
,
Rebecca Soni
Rebecca Soni (born March 18, 1987) is an American former competition swimmer and breaststroke specialist who is a six-time Olympic medalist. She is a former world record-holder in the 100-meter breaststroke (short and long course) and the 200- ...
, and
Missy Franklin
Melissa Franklin Johnson (born May 10, 1995) is an American former competition swimmer and five-time Olympic gold medalist. She formerly held the world record in the 200-meter backstroke (long course). As a member of the U.S. national swim team ...
with a time of 3:52.36, better than three seconds ahead of second-place finisher China. Swimming the butterfly leg, Vollmer had a split of 55.74. The final time of 3:52.36 for the medley relay was the second-fastest mark of all time, just behind the Chinese-held world record of 3:52.19.
2012 Summer Olympics
At the
2012 United States Olympic Trials, the U.S. qualifying meet for the Olympics, Vollmer qualified for the U.S. Olympic team for the second time by finishing first in the 100-meter butterfly and third in the 200-meter freestyle. In the final race of the 100-meter butterfly, Vollmer won in a time of 56.50 seconds, better than one second ahead of second-place
Claire Donahue
Claire Christine Donahue (born January 12, 1989) is an American competition swimmer. She won two gold medals at the 2011 Pan American Games and finished second at the 2011 National Championships in the 100-meter butterfly. She earned a gold me ...
. In the semi-final, Vollmer had broken her own
American record of 56.47 with her time of 56.42. Vollmer also competed in the 100-meter freestyle, but just missed a spot on the 4×100-meter freestyle relay by finishing seventh (54.61).
At the
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...
in London, she again broke her American record and set an Olympic record with a time of 56.25 seconds in her
100-meter butterfly qualifying heat. In the 100-meter butterfly final, she won the gold medal and set a new world record with her time of 55.98.
Vollmer also competed in the
4×200-meter freestyle relay. She swam the second leg with a time of 1:56.02, as the U.S. team won gold with a time of 7:42.92. In her final event, the
4×100-meter medley relay, Vollmer won another gold with
Missy Franklin
Melissa Franklin Johnson (born May 10, 1995) is an American former competition swimmer and five-time Olympic gold medalist. She formerly held the world record in the 200-meter backstroke (long course). As a member of the U.S. national swim team ...
,
Rebecca Soni
Rebecca Soni (born March 18, 1987) is an American former competition swimmer and breaststroke specialist who is a six-time Olympic medalist. She is a former world record-holder in the 100-meter breaststroke (short and long course) and the 200- ...
and
Allison Schmitt. Swimming the butterfly leg, Vollmer recorded a split time of 55.48, as the U.S. team set a new world record with a time of 3:52.05, bettering the previous record of 3:52.19 set by China in 2009.
2016 Summer Olympics
At the
2016 United States Olympic Trials, the U.S. qualifying meet for the Rio Olympics, Vollmer qualified for the U.S. Olympic team for the third time by finishing second in the 100-meter butterfly. In the final race of the 100-meter butterfly, she swam a time of 57.21 seconds, finishing behind
Kelsi Worrell
Kelsi Worrell Dahlia ( Worrell; born July 15, 1994) is a former American competitive swimmer specializing in butterfly and freestyle events. At the 2018 World Championships, Dahlia won nine total medals of which seven were gold medals. She qua ...
. Vollmer also qualified for the 4x100 meter freestyle relay by touching sixth in the individual 100 meter freestyle.
At the
2016 Summer Olympics
The 2016 Summer Olympics ( pt, Jogos Olímpicos de Verão de 2016), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad ( pt, Jogos da XXXI Olimpíada) and also known as Rio 2016, was an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 20 ...
in Rio, she won a bronze medal in the
100-meter butterfly with a time of 56.63. Vollmer also competed in the
4×100-meter freestyle relay the same night, in which she swam the third leg with a split of 53.18. The U.S. team of her,
Simone Manuel,
Abbey Weitzeil
Abbigail "Abbey" Weitzeil (born December 3, 1996) is an American competition swimmer specializing in sprint freestyle. A multiple time Olympic medalist, she won a gold medal in the 4x100-meter medley relay for swimming in the preliminary heat ...
, and
Katie Ledecky won silver with an American record time of 3:31.89. She also swam in the 4 x 100-meter medley relay, helping the US team win the gold medal. Her gold in the medley relay was the 1,000th gold medal for the US at the summer Olympics.
2017
On 13 April 2017 Vollmer competed in the Women's 50 Free of the 2017 Arena Pro Swim Series Indy while six months pregnant. She participated in preparation for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics; time and placing was not important to her. She finished 55th in 27.59". She announced by wearing a green TYR techsuit that her second child would be a boy. On July 4, 2017 Vollmer gave birth to their second child Ryker Alexander Grant .
2019
On July 30, 2019, Vollmer announced her retirement from competitive swimming, stating that her last swim would be the 100 meter butterfly at the 2019
Phillips 66
The Phillips 66 Company is an American Multinational corporation, multinational energy company headquartered in Westchase, Houston, Westchase, Houston, Houston, Texas. Its name, dating back to 1927 as a trademark of the Phillips Petroleum Compan ...
National Swimming Championships in
Stanford, California
Stanford is a census-designated place (CDP) in the northwest corner of Santa Clara County, California, United States. It is the home of Stanford University. The population was 21,150 at the United States Census, 2020, 2020 census.
Stanford is ...
.
Life outside swimming
Vollmer is an ambassador for the
American Heart Association
The American Heart Association (AHA) is a nonprofit organization in the United States that funds cardiovascular medical research, educates consumers on healthy living and fosters appropriate cardiac care in an effort to reduce disability and death ...
's "Go Red for Women" program.
She is married to Andy Grant, a former swimmer for
Stanford University
Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...
. The couple announced they were expecting their first child on October 10, 2014, and she gave birth on March 6, 2015 to baby boy Arlen Jackson Grant.
[Dana Vollmer's Twitter]
Retrieved November 17, 2014. Andy and Dana announced on January 13, 2017, that they are expecting a second child due July 2017. On July 4, 2017, she gave birth to their second son, Ryker Alexander Grant.
Personal best times
Long course
Short course
See also
*
List of multiple Olympic gold medalists
This article lists the individuals who have won at least four gold medals at the Olympic Games or at least three gold medals in individual events.
List of most Olympic gold medals over career
This is a partial list of multiple Olympic gold medalis ...
*
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 tim ...
*
List of University of California, Berkeley alumni
This page lists notable alumni and students of the University of California, Berkeley. Alumni who also served as faculty are listed in bold font, with degree and year.
Notable faculty members are in the article List of University of California, Be ...
*
*
List of world records in swimming
The world records in swimming are ratified by FINA, the international governing body of swimming. Records can be set in long course (50 metres) or short course (25 metres) swimming pools. FINA recognizes world records in the following events f ...
*
World record progression 100 metres butterfly
The first world record in the 100 metres butterfly in long course (50 metres) swimming was recognised by the International Swimming Federation (FINA) in 1957, for both men and women. In the short-course (25 metres) swimming events, t ...
*
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 ...
*
World record progression 4 × 200 metres freestyle relay
In its most general sense, the term "world" refers to the totality of entities, to the whole of reality or to everything that is. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the worl ...
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Vollmer, Dana
1987 births
Living people
American female butterfly swimmers
American female freestyle swimmers
California Golden Bears women's swimmers
Florida Gators women's swimmers
Medalists at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Medalists at the 2012 Summer Olympics
Medalists at the 2016 Summer Olympics
Medalists at the FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m)
Olympic gold medalists for the United States in swimming
Olympic silver medalists for the United States in swimming
Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in swimming
People from Granbury, Texas
Sportspeople from Syracuse, New York
Sportspeople from Texas
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
World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming
World record setters in swimming
Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States
Pan American Games medalists in swimming
Universiade medalists in swimming
Universiade gold medalists for the United States
Universiade silver medalists for the United States
Goodwill Games medalists in swimming
Medalists at the 2005 Summer Universiade
Competitors at the 2001 Goodwill Games
Medalists at the 2003 Pan American Games