Olivia Smoliga
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| Full name | Olivia Smoliga | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team |
 United States
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| Born |
October 12, 1994 Glenview, Illinois |
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| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Swimming | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Strokes | Backstroke, freestyle | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College team | University of Georgia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Olivia Smoliga (born October 12, 1994) is an American competition swimmer who specializes in backstroke and freestyle events. She currently holds the American record in the 50-meter backstroke (short course). At the 2016 Summer Olympics held in Rio de Janeiro, she won a gold medal for swimming in the preliminary heat of the 4x100-meter medley relay.
Her parents, Tomasz and Elżbieta Smoliga, emigrated from Poland in 1991. She has a younger brother, Matt, who plays hockey. After graduating from Glenbrook South High School in 2013, Smoliga accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Georgia, where she swims for coach Jack Bauerle's Georgia Bulldogs swimming and diving team starting in the 2013–14 academic year.
At the 2012 United States Olympic Trials, the qualifying meet for the 2012 Olympics, Smoliga missed the Olympic team by finishing fourth in the 100-meter backstroke (1:00.46) and twenty-third in the 50-meter freestyle (25.66). During the semifinals, Smoliga swam a personal best of 59.82 breaking the long course one-minute barrier for the first time.
At the Illinois State High School Championships in November 2012 Smoliga broke the national high school records in both the 100 yard backstroke (51.43) and 50 yard freestyle (21.99).
At the 2012 FINA Short Course World Championships in Istanbul, her first major international competition, Smoliga won a total of four medals: two gold, one silver, and one bronze. In the 100-meter backstroke final, Smoliga surprised the field by winning gold in a time of 56.64 swimming from lane 1. In the last 50-meters, Smoliga had the fastest split in the field with a time of 29.74. Smoliga also earned gold in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay, silver in the 50-meter backstroke (in which she set the American record), and bronze in the 4×100-meter medley relay.
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