Rowdy Gaines Totally Explained

Everything about Rowdy Gaines totally explained

Ambrose ("Rowdy") Gaines IV (born February 17, 1959 in Winter Haven, Florida) is a former American swimmer, U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame member, Olympic three-time gold medalist, and member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame. He is currently the chief fundraiser for USA Swimming as well as a swimming analyst for television networks ESPN and NBC including coverage of the Athens 2004 Summer Olympics, his third as a TV commentator. He endorses an indoor swiming pool contraption that's advertised on television.

Biography

Born in Winter Haven, Florida, Rowdy unsuccessfully tried other sports during his teen-age years but turned to swimming as a Winter Haven High School junior where he improved quickly and was offered a swimming scholarship to Auburn University. At Auburn he became a five-time NCAA champion under the training of former Stanford University and current Auburn head swimming coach Richard Quick.
   During one four-year period, Gaines held eleven World Records and had the United States not boycotted 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, he'd have been a favorite to win multiple medals at the event. After graduating from Auburn in 1981, he stopped swimming for several months, thinking he'd missed his opportunity to be an Olympic medalist, but was urged to resume swimming by his father. When Gaines qualified at the 1984 Olympic trials his times were not particularly impressive and he wasn't expected to place at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. He won the 100-metre freestyle off a very good start and swam the anchor leg for both the US gold medal-winning 4 x 100-metre freestyle and 4 x 100-metre medley teams.
   In August 1991, Gaines was temporarily paralyzed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome. After a two-month hospitalization, he experienced a surprising full recovery attributed largely to his superb physical condition as a competitive swimmer. He eventually regained world-class times and, at the age of 35, became the oldest swimmer to qualify for the trials for the 1996 Summer Olympics. Ultimately, he chose not to compete in the trials for Atlanta but rather continue his career as a television commentator, covering swimming for NBC at the Games.
   Gaines was Outreach Director for the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in Birmingham from 1997 until 2003 when he moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado to become the Chief Fundraising and Alumni Officer for USA Swimming. In December 2007, Gaines became a spokesperson for the beverage company Limu Company LLC.
   Gaines still holds Masters long course world records in several freestyle events in the both the 30-34 and 35-39 age groups.

Awards

International Swimming Hall of Fame
U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame
Alabama Sports Hall of Fame
Florida Sports Hall of Fame
1982 McDonalds Spirit Award
2007 NCAA Silver Anniversary Award

Further Information

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