The Santa Clara Swim Club is a renowned swimming club and team based in Santa Clara, California

Santa Clara, California

Santa Clara , founded in 1777 and incorporated in 1852, is a city in Santa Clara County, in the U.S. state of California. The city is the site of the eighth of 21 California missions, Mission Santa Clara de Asís, and was named after the mission. The Mission and Mission Gardens are located on the...

. Founded in 1951 by George Haines

George Haines

George Frederick Haines was a swimmer and swimming coach who coached at the Santa Clara Swim Club, Stanford University and UCLA. He also coached for seven U.S. Olympic swim teams...

, the team's coach until 1974, the club has many notable alumni, including Donna de Varona

Donna de Varona

Donna Elizabeth de Varona is a former American swimmer of Mexican and Irish descent.-Swimming career:...

, Pablo Morales

Pablo Morales

Pablo Morales is an American former swimmer. He attended Bellarmine College Preparatory, in San Jose, California under the supervision of Larry Rogers...

, Don Schollander

Don Schollander

Donald Arthur Schollander is a former Olympic swimmer for the United States. He won total of five gold medals and one silver medal at the 1964 Summer Olympics...

, Mark Spitz

Mark Spitz

Mark Andrew Spitz is a retired American swimmer. He won seven gold medals at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, an achievement only surpassed by Michael Phelps who won eight golds at the 2008 Olympics....

, Chris von Saltza

Chris von Saltza

Susan Christina von Saltza is a former competitive freestyle swimmer from the United States who, at the age of 16, won one silver and three gold medals at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy. She set the world record in the 400 meter freestyle at the U.S. Olympic trials...

, Lynn Burke

Lynn Burke

Lynn Burke is an American swimmer and olympic champion. She competed at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome, where she received a gold medal in 100 m backstroke, and also a gold medal in 4x100m medley relay.-References:...

, George Harrison

George Harrison (swimmer)

George Harrison was an American swimmer and olympic champion. He competed at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, where he received a gold medal in 4 × 200 m freestyle relay...

, Steve Clark

Stephen Clark (swimmer)

Stephen Edward Clark is a former American swimmer and Yale varsity swimming captain. He won three gold medals at the 1964 Olympics, one of which he donated to Yale University in 2005.-References:*...

, and Paul Hait

Paul Hait

Paul Hait is an American swimmer and olympic champion. He competed at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome, where he received a gold medal in 4 × 100 m medley relay....

. Swimmers from the club have earned 71 Olympic medals: 42 Gold, 18 Silver, and 11 Bronze. In 1966, the City of Santa Clara built the Santa Clara International Swim Center, which became the home of the club. It was renamed the George F. Haines International Swim Center in June 2001.

The Swim Center has hosted the Santa Clara International Grand Prix annually for 42 years. Since its inception, 23 World records, 333 American records, and 64 Foreign National records have been set at the meet, including a World record set by Michael Phelps

Michael Phelps

Michael Fred Phelps is an American swimmer who has, overall, won 16 Olympic medals—six gold and two bronze at Athens in 2004, and eight gold at Beijing in 2008, becoming the most successful athlete at both of these Olympic Games editions...

 in 2004. The Swim Center has hosted Senior Nationals, Junior Nationals, Western Zone Championships, Far Western Championships, and Masters Nationals.

The Santa Clara Swim Club is known for its history as a successful swim club, and maintains an excelling competitive team under head coach John Bitter, preceded by Dick Jochums. The Masters program is highly popular as well. The annual Santa Clara International Grand Prix continues to regularly attract Olympian athletes including Michael Phelps

Michael Phelps

Michael Fred Phelps is an American swimmer who has, overall, won 16 Olympic medals—six gold and two bronze at Athens in 2004, and eight gold at Beijing in 2008, becoming the most successful athlete at both of these Olympic Games editions...

.

The club's home pool is the George F. Haines International Swim Center.http://santaclaraca.gov/park_recreation/pr_internat_swim.html