- Naber, John
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born Jan. 20, 1956, Evanston, Ill., U.S.U.S. swimmer.He swam for the University of Southern California, winning 15 championships. At the 1976 Olympics he won four gold medals and a silver; his world-record times in the 100-m and 200-m backstroke stood for seven years.
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▪ American athleteborn January 20, 1956, Evanston, Illinois, U.S.American swimmer who won four gold medals and a silver at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal.A specialist in the backstroke, Naber competed at the University of Southern California, where he won 15 collegiate championships. He won three gold medals at the 1975 Pan-American Games.At the 1976 Olympics, Naber became the first swimmer to break the 2-minute barrier in the 200-metre backstroke, winning the gold and setting a world record (1 min 59.19 sec) that would stand for seven years. His gold-medal-winning world record time in the 100-metre backstroke (55.49 sec) also lasted seven years. In the 200-metre freestyle he finished behind Bruce Furniss, who set a world record, to win the silver. Naber also competed for the U.S. team that won gold medals in the 4 × 100-metre medley relay and the 4 × 200-metre freestyle relay.Naber received the James E. Sullivan Memorial Award as the best American amateur athlete of 1977 and is a member of the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame.* * *
Universalium. 2010.
