Jessica Hardy
Encyclopedia
Jessica Adele Hardy is an American swimmer
who specializes in the breaststroke and freestyle
stroke. She currently holds the world record in the 50 m breaststroke (short and long course) and the 100 m breaststroke (long course).
She has won a total of nineteen medals in major international competition, ten gold, eight silver, and one bronze spanning the World and the Pan Pacific
Championships. Hardy's breakthrough performance was at the 2005 World Aquatics Championships
, where she won three silver medals and broke Leisel Jones
' world record in the 100 m breaststroke. She was named USA Swimming's Breakout Performer of the Year for her performance that year. Most of her international medals have come in breaststroke and relay events.
After making the USA Olympic Team in 2008, Hardy tested positive for clenbuterol
and voluntarily left the team. The substance typically carries a two-year ban, but she ended up serving a one-year ban after she explained to the American Arbitration Association
that her positive test was a result of a tainted nutritional supplement.
and is currently a social work
er. Her father is a chemical engineer
. She is a 2005 graduate of Wilson Classical High School
in Long Beach and was Swimming World
s Female High School Swimmer of the Year in 2004 and 2005. Hardy competed for two years at the University of California, Berkeley
, where she was a four-time NCAA Champion and met her longtime boyfriend Dominik Meichtry
, a Swiss
swimmer and 2008 Olympian. She gave up her eligibility and turned professional in 2007, to train with coach Dave Salo
for Trojan Swim Club out of the University of Southern California
. Salo is currently the head coach for the men's and women's swimming teams at USC.
, a long course meet, Hardy competed in two individual breaststroke events and in the 4×100 m medley relay. She won silver in all of those events. Hardy broke Leisel Jones
' world record in the semifinals of the 100 m breaststroke on July 25 before ultimately finishing second in the finals two days later. In the 4×100 m medley relay, on July 30, Hardy won a silver medal with Natalie Coughlin
, Rachel Komisarz
, and Amanda Weir
. As the breaststroke leg, Hardy recorded a time of 1:07.70, the second-fastest in the field. On July 31, Hardy placed second in the 50 m breaststroke, finishing behind Jade Edmistone
of Australia
.
At the 2006 Short Course World Championships
in Shanghai
, Hardy competed in two individual breaststroke events and swam in the heats of the 4×100 m medley relay. At the conclusion of the meet, she won a silver and bronze medal. In the 50 m breaststroke on April 6, Hardy won a bronze medal, finishing behind Jade Edmistone and Brooke Hanson
of Australia. Hardy then competed in the heats of the 4×100 m medley relay (with Mary Mohler, Elaine Breeden
, and Amanda Weir) on April 7, and won a silver medal after the United States placed second in the finals. On April 8, Hardy finished in 4th place in the 100 m breaststroke.
At the 2007 World Aquatics Championships
, a long course meet, Hardy competed in two individual breaststroke events and in the 4×100 m medley relay. She won a gold and silver medal at this competition. In her first event, the 100 m breaststroke, on March 27, Hardy placed 4th. Hardy then swam in the heats of the 4×100 m medley relay (with Leila Vaziri
, Dana Vollmer
, and Amanda Weir) on March 31, and won a silver medal after the United States placed second in the finals. On April 1, Hardy won the gold in the 50 m breaststroke.
At the 2008 Short Course World Championships
in Manchester
, Hardy won a total of three gold medals. In her first event, the 50 m breaststroke, on April 10, Hardy won gold with a world record time of 29.58. In the 4×100 m medley, on April 11, Hardy teamed with Margaret Hoelzer
, Rachel Komisarz
, and Kara Denby
to win gold in a world record time of 3:51.36. Going into the final of the 100 m breaststroke, Hardy was the clear favorite for gold. She topped the heats with a time of 1:05.31 and broke the championship record in the semifinals with a time of 1:04.63 both on April 11. In the final of the 100 m breaststroke, on April 12, Hardy won gold with a time of 1:04.22, and broke her own championship record.
, Hardy qualified for the USA Olympic Team. A few weeks later, on July 23, 2008, Hardy was notified that the second of her three tests from the Trials came back as positive for low levels of clenbuterol
; this notification subsequently leaked to the media. Her attorney confirmed on July 24, 2008 that Hardy's "A" and "B" samples from a test administered on July 4 were positive for clenbuterol, a banned stimulant.
Hardy has claimed innocence and said she has never even heard of clenbuterol, attributing her positive drug result to either a tainted nutritional supplement or sabotage. Media coverage of the issue noted that tainted supplements have played a part in some previous instances of bans. An example offered has been that of American swimmer Kicker Vencill
, who won a lawsuit against a company that provided him with tainted supplements that resulted in a positive dope test and two-year ban from the sport. Under both American and international regulations, a lack of knowledge of the source of the substance ingested is not considered to be a defence against a positive result.
On August 1, 2008, following Hardy's hearing before the United States Anti-Doping Agency
(USADA), USADA released a statement stating, "The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) announced today that U.S. swimmer, Jessica Hardy, of Long Beach, CA, tested positive for the prohibited substance clenbuterol at the U.S. Olympic Trials on July 4, 2008, and has agreed to withdraw from the 2008 United States Olympic Team in the best interests of the team." On August 1, 2008, Hardy officially, and voluntarily, left the 2008 USA Olympic Team. In May 2009, it was announced that Hardy would be banned from the sport for one year for the positive test.
On May 21, 2010, the Court of Arbitration for Sport
(CAS) agreed with the 2009 decision of the American Arbitration Association
and dismissed the appeal by WADA (the World Anti-Doping Agency) to increase the suspension from one to two years. However, CAS did not entertain Hardy's request to have the International Olympic Committee
join this arbitration nor her request to make a recommendation on her eligibility for the 2012 London Olympic games. In April 2011, it was announced that Hardy will be eligible for the 2012 Olympics.
At the World Cup
on October 17, Hardy broke her own 50 m breaststroke (short course) record set in April 2008 with a time of 29.45. On November 7, Hardy again bettered her own world record in the 50 m breaststroke (short course) with a time of 29.36. On November 12, Hardy broke her own world record for the third time with a 28.96, the first woman to go sub 29 in the 50 m short course breaststroke. On November 15, Hardy bettered her record for the fourth time with a time of 28.80, 0.16 seconds faster than her previous record. Hardy was the overall winner in the female division for the 2009 FINA Swimming World Cup
. She received $US100,000 for her efforts.
that competed at the 2010 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships
after finishing second in the 100 m freestyle. On August 5, Despite being the world record holder in the 100 m breaststroke, Hardy finished in 7th place with a time of 1:09.24. At the first 50, Hardy came in first in 30.92, but faded badly at the end. Hardy did not blame her poor performances on her physical condition but rather her mental state
. On her final chance of making the team, On August 7, Hardy finished in second place in the 100 m freestyle in 54.14, a personal best for her. After the competition, Hardy said, "I've been struggling so much with the pressure I put on myself, especially in the 100 breaststroke."
, Amanda Weir
and Dana Vollmer
. As the second leg of the relay, Hardy had a 53.43 split, the fastest in the field. The next day, on August 21, Hardy competed in both the 50 m freestyle and the 4×100 m medley relay. In the 50 m freestyle, Hardy won gold in a championship record time of 24.63, just ahead of Amanda Weir who recorded a time of 24.70. Hardy then competed in the 4×100 m medley relay with Natalie Coughlin, Dana Vollmer and Rebecca Soni
. As the freestyle leg, Hardy recorded a time of 53.12 and the American team went on to win the gold medal in a time of 3:55.23.
Key: WR = World record
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
who specializes in the breaststroke and freestyle
Freestyle swimming
Freestyle is an unregulated swimming style used in swimming competitions according to the rules of FINA. The front crawl stroke is almost universally used during a freestyle race, as this style is generally the fastest...
stroke. She currently holds the world record in the 50 m breaststroke (short and long course) and the 100 m breaststroke (long course).
She has won a total of nineteen medals in major international competition, ten gold, eight silver, and one bronze spanning the World and the Pan Pacific
Pan Pacific Swimming Championships
The Pan Pacific Swimming Championships is a long course swimming event first held in 1985. The meet was initially staged biennially , to allow for an international championship-level meet in the non-Olympic and non-World Championships years...
Championships. Hardy's breakthrough performance was at the 2005 World Aquatics Championships
2005 World Aquatics Championships
The 2005 World Aquatics Championships or the XI FINA World Championships were held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada from July 16 to July 31, 2005...
, where she won three silver medals and broke Leisel Jones
Leisel Jones
Leisel Marie Jones OAM is an Australian Olympic gold medalist swimmer. A participant in the 2000 Summer Olympics – at just 15 years old – and 2004 Summer Olympics, she was part of gold medal winning Australian team in the women's 4 × 100 metre medley relay at the Athens Games in 2004 and a gold...
' world record in the 100 m breaststroke. She was named USA Swimming's Breakout Performer of the Year for her performance that year. Most of her international medals have come in breaststroke and relay events.
After making the USA Olympic Team in 2008, Hardy tested positive for clenbuterol
Clenbuterol
Clenbuterol is a sympathomimetic amine used by sufferers of breathing disorders as a decongestant and bronchodilator. People with chronic breathing disorders such as asthma use this as a bronchodilator to make breathing easier...
and voluntarily left the team. The substance typically carries a two-year ban, but she ended up serving a one-year ban after she explained to the American Arbitration Association
American Arbitration Association
The American Arbitration Association is a private enterprise in the business of arbitration, and one of several arbitration organizations that administers arbitration proceedings. The AAA also administers mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution. It is headquartered in New York...
that her positive test was a result of a tainted nutritional supplement.
Personal
Hardy was born in Long Beach, California in 1987, the daughter of George Hardy and Denise Robinson. Her mother swam collegiality for Indiana State UniversityIndiana State University
Indiana State University is a public university located in Terre Haute, Indiana, United States.The Princeton Review has named Indiana State as one of the "Best in the Midwest" seven years running, and the College of Education's Graduate Program was recently named as a 'Top 100' by U.S...
and is currently a social work
Social work
Social Work is a professional and academic discipline that seeks to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of an individual, group, or community by intervening through research, policy, community organizing, direct practice, and teaching on behalf of those afflicted with poverty or any real or...
er. Her father is a chemical engineer
Chemical engineer
In the field of engineering, a chemical engineer is the profession in which one works principally in the chemical industry to convert basic raw materials into a variety of products, and deals with the design and operation of plants and equipment to perform such work...
. She is a 2005 graduate of Wilson Classical High School
Wilson Classical High School
Woodrow Wilson Classical High School is a secondary school in Long Beach, California. It is part of the Long Beach Unified School District and opened in 1925.-Overview:Wilson High School opened in 1925 as the second school in the city....
in Long Beach and was Swimming World
Swimming World magazine
Swimming World Magazine is an American-based monthly swimming magazine, that was first published in a magazine format as Junior Swimmer in January of 1960...
s Female High School Swimmer of the Year in 2004 and 2005. Hardy competed for two years at the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
, where she was a four-time NCAA Champion and met her longtime boyfriend Dominik Meichtry
Dominik Meichtry
Dominik Meichtry is a Swiss swimmer specializing in the middle distance freestyle events. He currently holds six Swiss national records ....
, a Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
swimmer and 2008 Olympian. She gave up her eligibility and turned professional in 2007, to train with coach Dave Salo
Dave Salo
David Clark "Dave" Salo is a swimming coach based in Southern California, USA. Currently, he is the head coach of the University of Southern California men's and women's swimming team, as well as USC's club team: Trojan Swim Club. Prior to his becoming the USC coach, he was the head coach of Irvine...
for Trojan Swim Club out of the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
. Salo is currently the head coach for the men's and women's swimming teams at USC.
2005–08
At the 2005 World Aquatics Championships2005 World Aquatics Championships
The 2005 World Aquatics Championships or the XI FINA World Championships were held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada from July 16 to July 31, 2005...
, a long course meet, Hardy competed in two individual breaststroke events and in the 4×100 m medley relay. She won silver in all of those events. Hardy broke Leisel Jones
Leisel Jones
Leisel Marie Jones OAM is an Australian Olympic gold medalist swimmer. A participant in the 2000 Summer Olympics – at just 15 years old – and 2004 Summer Olympics, she was part of gold medal winning Australian team in the women's 4 × 100 metre medley relay at the Athens Games in 2004 and a gold...
' world record in the semifinals of the 100 m breaststroke on July 25 before ultimately finishing second in the finals two days later. In the 4×100 m medley relay, on July 30, Hardy won a silver medal with Natalie Coughlin
Natalie Coughlin
Natalie Anne Coughlin is an American swimmer and eleven-time Olympic medallist.At the 2008 Summer Olympics, Coughlin became the first American female athlete in modern Olympic history to win six medals in one Olympics and the first woman ever to win a 100 m backstroke gold in two consecutive...
, Rachel Komisarz
Rachel Komisarz
Rachel Komisarz is an American swimmer. She swam for the United States team at the 2004 Summer Olympics, where she won a gold medal in the women's 4x200 m freestyle relay and a silver medal in the women's 4x100 m medley relay.-External links:**...
, and Amanda Weir
Amanda Weir
Amanda Weir is an American swimmer.At the 2004 Summer Olympics, Weir swam the third leg in the US team for the Women's 4×100 m freestyle relay. Leading after her leg of the relay, the US team finished second to the Australians, setting an American Record with their finishing time...
. As the breaststroke leg, Hardy recorded a time of 1:07.70, the second-fastest in the field. On July 31, Hardy placed second in the 50 m breaststroke, finishing behind Jade Edmistone
Jade Edmistone
Jade Edmistone is an Australian breaststroke swimmer, who is the former world-record holder in the 50 m breaststroke at both short and long course formats of the event. She is coached by Stephan Widmar at the Commercial Swim Club in Brisbane...
of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
At the 2006 Short Course World Championships
2006 FINA Short Course World Championships
The 8th FINA World Swimming Championships were held at the Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena in Shanghai, China from April 5 to April 9, 2006.-Medal table:-Freestyle:-Backstroke:-Breaststroke:-Butterfly:-Individual Medley:-Relays:...
in Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, Hardy competed in two individual breaststroke events and swam in the heats of the 4×100 m medley relay. At the conclusion of the meet, she won a silver and bronze medal. In the 50 m breaststroke on April 6, Hardy won a bronze medal, finishing behind Jade Edmistone and Brooke Hanson
Brooke Hanson
Brooke Louise Hanson OAM is a former Australian swimmer.A swimmer since the age of four, Hanson was the youngest swimmer on the Australian national team at the 1994 Commonwealth Games, where she finished fourth in the 200 m breaststroke...
of Australia. Hardy then competed in the heats of the 4×100 m medley relay (with Mary Mohler, Elaine Breeden
Elaine Breeden
Elaine Breeden is an American swimmer. She qualified to swim in the 100m butterfly and 200m butterfly at the 2008 Summer Olympics by placing second and first respectively in those two events at the U.S. Olympic Trials. Breeden was eliminated in the 100m semifinals and finished seventh in the 200m...
, and Amanda Weir) on April 7, and won a silver medal after the United States placed second in the finals. On April 8, Hardy finished in 4th place in the 100 m breaststroke.
At the 2007 World Aquatics Championships
2007 World Aquatics Championships
The 2007 World Aquatics Championships or the XII FINA World Championships were held in Melbourne, Australia from 17 March to 1 April 2007...
, a long course meet, Hardy competed in two individual breaststroke events and in the 4×100 m medley relay. She won a gold and silver medal at this competition. In her first event, the 100 m breaststroke, on March 27, Hardy placed 4th. Hardy then swam in the heats of the 4×100 m medley relay (with Leila Vaziri
Leila Vaziri
Leila Vaziri is an Iranian American swimmer and former world record holder in the 50 m backstroke.-Collegiate career:Vaziri completed her collegiate swimming career at Indiana University. She was 2005 Big Ten Champion in the 100 yard backstroke and the 2007 NCAA bronze medalist in the 100 yard...
, Dana Vollmer
Dana Vollmer
Dana Vollmer is an American college and international swimmer and Olympic gold medalist. At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece she won a gold medal in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay with Natalie Coughlin, Kaitlin Sandeno, and Carly Piper that set the world record in the event.She has won...
, and Amanda Weir) on March 31, and won a silver medal after the United States placed second in the finals. On April 1, Hardy won the gold in the 50 m breaststroke.
At the 2008 Short Course World Championships
2008 FINA Short Course World Championships
The 9th FINA Swimming World Championships were held at the Manchester Evening News Arena, in Manchester, England April 9 – April 13 2008....
in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, Hardy won a total of three gold medals. In her first event, the 50 m breaststroke, on April 10, Hardy won gold with a world record time of 29.58. In the 4×100 m medley, on April 11, Hardy teamed with Margaret Hoelzer
Margaret Hoelzer
Margaret Hoelzer is an American swimmer who competed in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, and the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.-Biography:...
, Rachel Komisarz
Rachel Komisarz
Rachel Komisarz is an American swimmer. She swam for the United States team at the 2004 Summer Olympics, where she won a gold medal in the women's 4x200 m freestyle relay and a silver medal in the women's 4x100 m medley relay.-External links:**...
, and Kara Denby
Kara Denby
Kara Denby is an American swimmer. She swam for the United States team at the 2008 FINA Short Course World Championships, where she won a gold medal and set a world record in the women's 4x100 m medley relay along with Margaret Hoelzer, Jessica Hardy and Rachel Komisarz.Denby was a 24-time...
to win gold in a world record time of 3:51.36. Going into the final of the 100 m breaststroke, Hardy was the clear favorite for gold. She topped the heats with a time of 1:05.31 and broke the championship record in the semifinals with a time of 1:04.63 both on April 11. In the final of the 100 m breaststroke, on April 12, Hardy won gold with a time of 1:04.22, and broke her own championship record.
Positive drug test
At the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team TrialsUnited States Olympic Trials (swimming)
The United States Olympic Team Trials in Swimming are held before every Summer Olympics to select the participators for the USA's swimming team. The event is overseen by the United States Olympic Committee and run/operated by USA Swimming....
, Hardy qualified for the USA Olympic Team. A few weeks later, on July 23, 2008, Hardy was notified that the second of her three tests from the Trials came back as positive for low levels of clenbuterol
Clenbuterol
Clenbuterol is a sympathomimetic amine used by sufferers of breathing disorders as a decongestant and bronchodilator. People with chronic breathing disorders such as asthma use this as a bronchodilator to make breathing easier...
; this notification subsequently leaked to the media. Her attorney confirmed on July 24, 2008 that Hardy's "A" and "B" samples from a test administered on July 4 were positive for clenbuterol, a banned stimulant.
Hardy has claimed innocence and said she has never even heard of clenbuterol, attributing her positive drug result to either a tainted nutritional supplement or sabotage. Media coverage of the issue noted that tainted supplements have played a part in some previous instances of bans. An example offered has been that of American swimmer Kicker Vencill
Kicker Vencill
Kicker Vencill is an American swimmer who won a lawsuit against a dietary supplement company for having contaminated multi-vitamins which caused him to be suspended from swimming for two years from 2003, even though they were prescribed to him by his doctor. The court awarded him over US$500,000....
, who won a lawsuit against a company that provided him with tainted supplements that resulted in a positive dope test and two-year ban from the sport. Under both American and international regulations, a lack of knowledge of the source of the substance ingested is not considered to be a defence against a positive result.
On August 1, 2008, following Hardy's hearing before the United States Anti-Doping Agency
United States Anti-Doping Agency
The United States Anti-Doping Agency , is a non-profit organization and the national anti-doping organization for the United States. The organization is charged with managing the anti-doping program for the U.S...
(USADA), USADA released a statement stating, "The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) announced today that U.S. swimmer, Jessica Hardy, of Long Beach, CA, tested positive for the prohibited substance clenbuterol at the U.S. Olympic Trials on July 4, 2008, and has agreed to withdraw from the 2008 United States Olympic Team in the best interests of the team." On August 1, 2008, Hardy officially, and voluntarily, left the 2008 USA Olympic Team. In May 2009, it was announced that Hardy would be banned from the sport for one year for the positive test.
On May 21, 2010, the Court of Arbitration for Sport
Court of Arbitration for Sport
The Court of Arbitration for Sport is an international arbitration body set up to settle disputes related to sport. Its headquarters are in Lausanne and its courts are located in New York, Sydney and Lausanne, Switzerland...
(CAS) agreed with the 2009 decision of the American Arbitration Association
American Arbitration Association
The American Arbitration Association is a private enterprise in the business of arbitration, and one of several arbitration organizations that administers arbitration proceedings. The AAA also administers mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution. It is headquartered in New York...
and dismissed the appeal by WADA (the World Anti-Doping Agency) to increase the suspension from one to two years. However, CAS did not entertain Hardy's request to have the International Olympic Committee
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
join this arbitration nor her request to make a recommendation on her eligibility for the 2012 London Olympic games. In April 2011, it was announced that Hardy will be eligible for the 2012 Olympics.
2009 comeback
Hardy returned from her suspension on August 5, at the U.S. Open National Championships. On August 6, Hardy broke Yuliya Yefimova's world record in the 50 m breaststroke (long course) with a time of 29.95 to become the first woman under 30 seconds in the event. On August 7, Hardy lowered the world record for the 100 m breaststroke with a time of 1:04.45. En route to this world record, she also lowered her own world record in the 50 m breaststroke with a time of 29.80.At the World Cup
FINA Swimming World Cup
The FINA Swimming World Cup is an international series of short course swimming meets organized by FINA, the International Federation for swimming...
on October 17, Hardy broke her own 50 m breaststroke (short course) record set in April 2008 with a time of 29.45. On November 7, Hardy again bettered her own world record in the 50 m breaststroke (short course) with a time of 29.36. On November 12, Hardy broke her own world record for the third time with a 28.96, the first woman to go sub 29 in the 50 m short course breaststroke. On November 15, Hardy bettered her record for the fourth time with a time of 28.80, 0.16 seconds faster than her previous record. Hardy was the overall winner in the female division for the 2009 FINA Swimming World Cup
2009 FINA Swimming World Cup
The 2009 FINA Swimming World Cup was a series of five short course swimming meets, held in October and November 2009.-Meets:The 2009 World Cup was staged at five venues on three continents, with each meet following a morning heats and evening finals format for all events, with the exception of the...
. She received $US100,000 for her efforts.
2010 National Championships
At the 2010 National Championships, Hardy made the American teamUnited States at the 2010 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships
The United States Pan Pacific Championships roster consists of 60 swimmers that will represent the United States at the 2010 Pan Pacs...
that competed at the 2010 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships
2010 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships
The eleventh edition of the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, also known as the 2010 Mutual of Omaha Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, a long course event, was held in Irvine, California, United States, from August 18–22....
after finishing second in the 100 m freestyle. On August 5, Despite being the world record holder in the 100 m breaststroke, Hardy finished in 7th place with a time of 1:09.24. At the first 50, Hardy came in first in 30.92, but faded badly at the end. Hardy did not blame her poor performances on her physical condition but rather her mental state
Philosophy of mind
Philosophy of mind is a branch of philosophy that studies the nature of the mind, mental events, mental functions, mental properties, consciousness and their relationship to the physical body, particularly the brain. The mind-body problem, i.e...
. On her final chance of making the team, On August 7, Hardy finished in second place in the 100 m freestyle in 54.14, a personal best for her. After the competition, Hardy said, "I've been struggling so much with the pressure I put on myself, especially in the 100 breaststroke."
2010 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships
Going into the 2010 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, Hardy said her only goal was to have fun. Hardy competed in two individual freestyle events (the 50 and 100 m freestyle), the 50 m butterfly, the 50 m breaststroke, and in the 4×100 m medley and freestyle relays. She went on to win four gold medals. On the first day of competition, on August 18, Hardy competed in the 50 m butterfly and finished in 6th place. On the second day of competition, on August 19, Hardy didn't qualify to swim in the 100 m freestyle A final and had to compete in the B final. In the 100 m freestyle B final, she finished first with a time of 54.16. On the third day of competition, on August 20, Hardy won gold in the 50 m breaststroke and the 4×100 m freestyle relay. In the 50 m breaststroke, Hardy won gold in a time of 30.03. Less than an hour later, Hardy competed in the 4×100 m freestyle relay with Natalie CoughlinNatalie Coughlin
Natalie Anne Coughlin is an American swimmer and eleven-time Olympic medallist.At the 2008 Summer Olympics, Coughlin became the first American female athlete in modern Olympic history to win six medals in one Olympics and the first woman ever to win a 100 m backstroke gold in two consecutive...
, Amanda Weir
Amanda Weir
Amanda Weir is an American swimmer.At the 2004 Summer Olympics, Weir swam the third leg in the US team for the Women's 4×100 m freestyle relay. Leading after her leg of the relay, the US team finished second to the Australians, setting an American Record with their finishing time...
and Dana Vollmer
Dana Vollmer
Dana Vollmer is an American college and international swimmer and Olympic gold medalist. At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece she won a gold medal in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay with Natalie Coughlin, Kaitlin Sandeno, and Carly Piper that set the world record in the event.She has won...
. As the second leg of the relay, Hardy had a 53.43 split, the fastest in the field. The next day, on August 21, Hardy competed in both the 50 m freestyle and the 4×100 m medley relay. In the 50 m freestyle, Hardy won gold in a championship record time of 24.63, just ahead of Amanda Weir who recorded a time of 24.70. Hardy then competed in the 4×100 m medley relay with Natalie Coughlin, Dana Vollmer and Rebecca Soni
Rebecca Soni
Rebecca Soni is an American breaststroke swimmer and three-time Olympic medalist. She currently holds the world record in the 100 and 200 m breaststroke and is a former world-record holder in the 100 and 200 m breaststroke .Soni has won a total of nineteen medals in major...
. As the freestyle leg, Hardy recorded a time of 53.12 and the American team went on to win the gold medal in a time of 3:55.23.
2011 World Championships
Personal bests
.| Event | Time | Venue | Date | Note(s) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 m breaststroke (long course) | 29.80 | Federal Way Federal Way, Washington Federal Way is a city in King County, Washington, United States. Federal Way is located between Seattle and Tacoma. Its western boundary is Puget Sound. It is bordered by Des Moines on the north, Kent, unincorporated King County, and Milton on the east and Tacoma and Fife on the south... |
August 7, 2009 | WR | ||
| 100 m breaststroke (long course) | 1:04.45 | Federal Way | August 7, 2009 | WR | ||
| 200 m breaststroke (long course) | 2:34.27 | Irvine Irvine, California Irvine is a suburban incorporated city in Orange County, California, United States. It is a planned city, mainly developed by the Irvine Company since the 1960s. Formally incorporated on December 28, 1971, the city has a population of 212,375 as of the 2010 census. However, the California... |
May 28, 2006 | |||
| 50 m freestyle (long course) | 24.48 | Omaha Omaha, Nebraska Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River... |
July 5, 2008 | |||
| 100 m freestyle (long course) | 54.14 | Irvine | August 7, 2010 | |||
| 50 m breaststroke (short course) | 28.80 | Berlin Berlin Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union... |
November 15, 2009 | WR | ||
| 100 m breaststroke (short course) | 1:03.30 | Berlin | November 14, 2009 | |||
| 200 m breaststroke (short course) | 2:33.20 | New York | January 30, 2004 | |||
| 50 m freestyle (short course) | 23.96 | Stockholm Stockholm Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area... |
November 10, 2009 | |||
| 100 m freestyle (short course) | 53.46 | Manchester Manchester Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater... |
April 12, 2008 | |||
Key: WR = World record
External links
- USA Swimming athlete bio: Jessica Hardy
- The University of California profile for Jessica Hardy