Thomas Fitzgerald Dolan (born September 15, 1975) is an American former competition swimmer, two-time Olympic champion, and former world record-holder.
Dolan was born September 15, 1975 in Arlington, Virginia and attended Yorktown High School, where he was a swimming team standout. Dolan needed to overcome childhood asthma, which impacted his swimming by 12, sometimes causing him to lose consciousness during his college workouts. In High School, he swam for Head Coach Rick Curl of the Curl-Burke Swim Club, later known as the Nation's Capital Swim Club."Dolan Reaches Rarified Air", The Roanoke Times, Roanoke, Virginia, July 18, 2003, pg. 21
University of Michigan He attended the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where he swam for coach Jon Urbanchek's Michigan Wolverines swimming and diving team in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) competition from 1994 to 1997.MGoBlue.com, Men's Swimming & Diving, Michigan Men's Swimming and Diving All-Time NCAA Champions . Retrieved February 17, 2013. During his college swimming career, he won individual NCAA national championships in the 500-yard freestyle (1995, 1996), 1,650-yard freestyle (1995, 1996), and 400-yard individual medley (1995, 1996), and was a member of three of Michigan's winning teams in the 800-yard freestyle relay (1994, 1995, 1996).HickokSports.com, Sports History, NCAA Men's Swimming & Diving Champions . Retrieved February 17, 2013.
Olympics 1996-2000 Dolan represented the United States at two consecutive Summer Olympics.Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Athletes, Men's 400 metres Individual Medley Final. Retrieved April 16, 2013. At the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, he won a gold medal in the men's 400-meter individual medley, finishing with a time 4:14.90.Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Swimming at the 1996 Atlanta Summer Games, Men's 400 metres Individual Medley Final. Retrieved April 16, 2013. He also competed in the men's 200-meter individual medley, placing seventh in the event final with a time 2:03.89.Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Swimming at the 1996 Atlanta Summer Games, Men's 200 metres Individual Medley Final. Retrieved April 16, 2013.
Four years later at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, Dolan again won a gold medal in the men's 400-meter individual medley, and setting a new world record of 4:11.76 in the final.Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Swimming at the 2000 Sydney Summer Games, Men's 400 metres Individual Medley Final. Retrieved April 16, 2013. He also received the silver medal for his second-place performance in the men's 200-meter individual medley (1:59.77).Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Swimming at the 2000 Sydney Summer Games, Men's 200 metres Individual Medley Final. Retrieved April 16, 2013.
Honors Dolan was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame as an "Honor Swimmer" in 2006, and the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 2009.
He has operated the Tom Dolan Swim School in Northern Virginia, teaching infants to adults fundamentals that are essential for water safety, recreational swimming, and competitive swimming.Tom Dolan Swim School, About Us. Retrieved April 16, 2013.
See also List of members of the International Swimming Hall of Fame List of Olympic medalists in swimming (men) List of University of Michigan alumni List of World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming (men) World record progression 400 metres individual medley
References
External links
Tom Dolan Swim School – Official website of the Tom Dolan Swim School