John "Jonty" Alexander Skinner was born on 15 February 1954 and is a former Hall of Fame South African competition swimmer and world record-holder, who for over forty years served as an American club and college swimming coach primarily at his alma mater, the University of Alabama before retiring as a coach in 2020.
16 Facts About Jonty Skinner
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Jonty Skinner coached the US national team in the mid-1990s, remaining as a Director of Team Performance through 2008.
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Jonty Skinner was awarded the title of South Africa Athlete of the Year and was awarded South African National Colours in Swimming and Life Saving.
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Jonty Skinner moved to the United States in 1974, largely to attend the University of Alabama, where he was a member of the accomplished Alabama Crimson Tide swimming and diving team, and competed as part of the NCAA and the Southeastern Conference.
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Jonty Skinner was elected Alabama's most valuable swimmer in 1975,1976 and 1977, and was later voted as Alabama's Athlete of the Year.
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Jonty Skinner graduated Alabama in 1978 with a degree in Communications and public relations, and by 1976, in his Junior year was hoping to apply for US Citizenship.
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Jonty Skinner's record stood until 3 April 1981 when Rowdy Gaines swam the distance in 49.36 seconds in Texas.
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Jonty Skinner trained for a period before his record breaking swim with Coach Bill Palmer's Central Jersey Aquatic Club in Monmouth County, New Jersey.
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In 1975, the year he set the American 100-yard record at the NCAA championships, Jonty Skinner was one of the first inductees into the University of Alabama Swimming and Diving Hall of Fame, which had been established by his mentor and Alabama college coach Don Gambril.
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Jonty Skinner began his coaching career in 1978 when he was appointed assistant coach of University of Alabama's swim team.
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Jonty Skinner coached at the University Aquatic Club in Tuscaloosa during this period.
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Jonty Skinner returned to the University of Alabama in 1988 as assistant head coach, and then took over the reins as the head swimming and diving coach of the men's and women's teams in 1990, serving until 1994.
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From 1994 to 2000 Jonty Skinner served as USA Swimming's resident team coach, which involved coaching some of the nation's top swimmers at the elite national and international level.
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From 2000 to 2008 Jonty Skinner served as USA Swimming's Director of National Team Technical Support, which involves co-ordinating all of the testing, tracking and assessment of the national team athletes.
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Jonty Skinner retired mid-season from Indiana in February 2020, permanently retiring as a swimming coach.
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Jonty Skinner resided in Tuscaloosa, Alabama while coaching at the University.