Nathan Adrian is a swimmer who has competed for the United States. He competed at the 2008, 2012, and 2016 Summer Olympic Games.
Adrian started his Olympic career in Beijing 2008. There, he swam through the lead-off leg in the heats of the 4x100 metres freestyle relay before his teammates Cullen Jones, Ben Wildman-Tobriner, and Matthew Grevers completed the race with a new world record time (3:12.23). A few days later, he saw the U.S. team of Jones, Jason Lezak, Garrett Weber-Gale, and Michael Phelps lower their world record to 3:08.24 to reclaim their title in the final round.
Four years later in London, Adrian recorded the fastest split (47.89) of the field through the lead-off leg to maintain the lead for the U.S. men's 4x100 metres freestyle relay team. When Ryan Lochte dove into the final exchange, his split of 47.74 was a full second slower than the Frenchmen that sealed a victory, leaving Adrian and the rest of the U.S. team with a silver. He rebounded from a runner-up feat to edge out James Magnussen by a hundredth of a second (0.01) for a gold in the 100 metres freestyle. With this feat, Adrian became the first U.S. swimmer to win the title since Matthew Biondi topped the podium in Seoul 1988. He also helped the U.S. men's team of Grevers, Brendan Hansen, and Phelps put together a blazing finish of 3:29.35 for their eighth title defense in the 4x100 metres medley relay.
At his third Games in 2016, Adrian produced the fastest split of the field (46.97) on the last leg to race against the Frenchmen towards a gold-medal victory for the U.S. men's team in the 4x100 metres freestyle relay. He was expected to defend his title in the 100 metres freestyle, but he lost the race to Kyle Chalmers by more than a quarter of a second (0.25), leaving him with a bronze. He landed again on the third spot behind the runner-up Florent Manaudou and winner Anthony Ervin in the 50 with a personal best of 21.49. He capped off his Olympic career with his fifth gold as a freestyle swimmer of the U.S. men's team in the 4x100 metres medley relay.
Adrian attempted to qualify for his fourth Olympic team in 2020, but he missed the cut in the sprint freestyle double (50 and 100) at the U.S. trials.
Olympic Results[]
Year | Event | Rank |
---|---|---|
2008 | Men's 4x100m freestyle relay | |
2012 | Men's 100m freestyle | |
Men's 4x100m freestyle relay | ||
Men's 4x100m medley relay | ||
2016 | Men's 50m freestyle | |
Men's 100m freestyle | ||
Men's 4x100m freestyle relay | ||
Men's 4x100m medley relay |
2008[]
Discipline | Round | Time | |
---|---|---|---|
4x100 metres freestyle relay | Heats | 3:12.23 (48.82 split) |
WR |
Final | 3:08.24 (Reserve) |
WR |
2012[]
Discipline | Round | Time |
---|---|---|
100 metres freestyle | Heats | 48.19 |
Semifinal | 47.97 | |
Final | 47.52 | |
4x100 metres freestyle relay | Heats | 3:12.59 (Reserve) |
Final | 3:10.38 (47.89 split) | |
4x100 metres medley relay | Heats | 3:32.65 (Reserve) |
Final | 3:29.35 (46.85 split) |
2016[]
Discipline | Round | Time | |
---|---|---|---|
50 metres freestyle | Heats | 21.61 | |
Semifinal | 21.47 | ||
Final | 21.49 | ||
100 metres freestyle | Heats | 48.58 | |
Semifinal | 47.83 | ||
Final | 47.85 | ||
4x100 metres freestyle relay | Heats | 3:12.38 (Reserve) |
|
Final | 3:09.92 (46.97 split) |
||
4x100 metres medley relay | Heats | 3:31.83 (Reserve) |
|
Final | 3:27.95 (46.74 split) |
OR |