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 ...

References

External links

* * * * * * {{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

Career

Relation to Burl Ives

See also

References

External links