Knowra Natalie Coughlin Natalie Coughlin Natalie Coughlin is an American former competitive swimmer and Olympic gold medalist who specialized in backstroke and freestyle events. She won 12 Olympic medals across three Summer Games.
2004 Summer Olympics : The 2004 Summer Olympics were held in Athens, Greece, from August 13 to 29. Coughlin won five medals in Athens, including gold in the 100-meter backstroke.
Backstroke : A competitive swimming style performed on the back, with alternating arm strokes and a flutter kick. It was Coughlin's signature stroke and the basis of her earliest Olympic gold.
Teri McKeever : Teri McKeever is an American swimming coach who led the University of California, Berkeley women's team. McKeever coached Coughlin at Berkeley and guided her through much of her elite career.
List of multiple Olympic gold medalists : A catalog of athletes who have won more than one gold medal at the Olympic Games. Coughlin's three Olympic golds place her among the United States' most successful women swimmers.
2008 Summer Olympics : The 2008 Summer Olympics were held in Beijing, China, from August 8 to 24. She won six medals in Beijing, the most of any American athlete at those Games.
Freestyle swimming : A swimming competition category that permits any stroke, usually swum using the front crawl. Coughlin expanded from backstroke into elite freestyle and relay events.
University of California, Berkeley : The University of California, Berkeley is a public research university in Berkeley, California. Coughlin swam collegiately for the university and won NCAA titles there.
List of Olympic medalists in swimming : A catalog of athletes who have won Olympic medals in swimming events. Her 12 medals connect her to the sport's most decorated Olympic competitors.
2012 Summer Olympics : The 2012 Summer Olympics were held in London, United Kingdom, from July 27 to August 12. Her London bronze in the 4 × 100-meter freestyle relay completed her three-Games Olympic career.
Individual medley : A swimming race in which one competitor swims butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle in sequence. Her versatility across strokes also brought success in individual medley events.
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