Lenny Krayzelburg

For his era, Lenny Krayzelburg was the greatest backstroke swimmer in the world, winning four gold medals at the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games, with wins in both backstroke events in 2000 along with a medley relay gold, and repeating with the US team at the 2004 medley relay.

Krayzelburg also won both the 100 and 200 metre backstrokes at the 1998 World Championships, adding a silver medal in the medley relay. He was the first male swimmer to sweep the backstroke events at the Worlds. At the Pan Pacific Championships he won the 100 backstroke, 200 backstroke, and medley relay in both 1997 and 1999. At the 1999 Pan Pacifics he broke the world record in the 100 and 200 backstrokes, and in an exhibition event, also in the 50 metre backstroke. Krayzelburg also competed at the 2001 Maccabiah Games, winning a 100 metre backstroke gold and a gold in the medley relay, and also carrying the USA flag at the Opening Ceremony.

Krayzelburg was born in Odessa, Ukraine, but his family left the Soviet Union in 1989 and settled in Los Angeles. Krayzelburg was naturalized as a USA citizen in 1995. He first attended Santa Monica College but transferred to the University of Southern California (USC).

Krayzelburg was named Sportsman of the Year by the US Olympic Committee in 1998 and was chosen USA Swimmer of the Year in both 1999 and 2000 by Swimming World magazine. In 2001, he was inducted into the Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and the USC Hall of Fame