Sarah Louise Catherwood (for a time known as Sarah Jackson, born 23 May 1980) is an Olympic swimmer from New Zealand.
Swimming career
Catherwood started swimming aged eight and was a teen swimming sensation; as of 2011, one of her national age 13 records still stood.
She was a member of Christchurch's AquaGym Swim Club alongside
Anna Simcic.
Catherwood was one of the 14 swimmers who represented
New Zealand at the 1996 Summer Olympics in
Atlanta, United States, and she competed at one event.
Aged 16, she was the youngest New Zealand swimmer in Atlanta.
Catherwood was in a team with
Anna Wilson,
Dionne Bainbridge
Dionne Estelle Bainbridge (later Coluccio, born 18 March 1978) is an Olympic swimmer from New Zealand.
Bainbridge was born in 1978 in Auckland, New Zealand. Bainbridge was one of the 14 swimmers who represented New Zealand at the 1996 Summer Ol ...
, and
Alison Fitch
Alison Rachel Fitch (also known as Aly Fitch; born 18 February 1980 in Hamilton, New Zealand) is a New Zealand Swimming (sport), swimming competitor. She won a bronze medal in the 4 × 200 m freestyle relay at the 2006 Commonwealth Games.
Care ...
to compete in the
4 × 200 metre freestyle relay.
They came fifth in their heat and did not qualify for the final; their overall placement was 11th out of 21 teams. Catherwood is New Zealand Olympian number 698.
Catherwood retired after competing at the
2004 FINA World short course swimming championships in
Indianapolis
Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...
, USA.
She improved her personal best time in
100 metres freestyle
The 100 metre freestyle is often considered to be the highlight (Blue Ribbon event) of the sport of swimming, like 100 metres in the sport of Athletics.
The first swimmer to break the one-minute barrier (long course) was Johnny Weissmuller, in 1 ...
by over half a second at those championships.
In 2011 at age 30, Catherwood decided to try a comeback, with Olympic team mate
Paul Kent as her trainer. At the time, she was based in
Palmerston North.
She later pursued her swimming career as a member of Roskill Magic, a swimming club in the
Auckland suburb of
Mount Roskill.
Private life
Catherwood was born in 1980 in
Christchurch, New Zealand.
She moved to
Palmerston North in 2008 to study a veterinary degree at
Massey University
Massey University ( mi, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa) is a university based in Palmerston North, New Zealand, with significant campuses in Albany and Wellington. Massey University has approximately 30,883 students, 13,796 of whom are extramural or ...
.
After that, she moved to
Auckland.
Outside of swimming, Catherwood's passion is horses.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Catherwood, Sarah
Living people
1980 births
Swimmers from Christchurch
Olympic swimmers of New Zealand
Swimmers at the 1996 Summer Olympics