20 Facts About Kristy Kowal

Kristina Ann Kowal was born on October 9,1978 and is an American swimmer, Olympic medalist, World Champion, and former world record-holder.

Kristy Kowal represented the United States at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, winning the silver medal in the 200-meter breaststroke.

Kristy Kowal was born on October 9,1978 in Reading, Pennsylvania, to Edward and Donna Kowal, and attended nearby Wilson High School in West Lawn.

Kristy Kowal seeded third in the 200-yard individual medley for the State Championships with a 2:08.47, a District 3 meet record.

On July 27,1997, Kristy Kowal broke the meet record at the Phillips 66 National Swimming Championships in the 100-meter breast stroke with a time of 1:08.80.

Kristy Kowal was the NCAA swimmer of the year in 1999 and 2000.

At the University of Georgia, Kristy Kowal was trained and mentored by Head Coach Jack Bauerle, and competed with top women swimmers, Stef Williams, a 2001 World Championships competitor, and 2000 Olympic gold medalist Courtney Shealey.

Kristy Kowal won eight NCAA titles and 10 US Swimming national titles.

Kristy Kowal was the first American woman to break the one-minute barrier in the 100-yard breaststroke in 1998.

Kristy Kowal was the first American woman to win a world championship title in the 100-meter breaststroke on January 13,1998 at the FINA World Championships in Perth, Australia in a close race with a time of 1:08.42.

Kristy Kowal became a member of the United States Swimming Team in 1995 at the age of 16.

Kristy Kowal participated in the 1998 and 2001 World Championships, and won gold medals in 1998 in the medley relay and 100-metre breaststroke.

Kristy Kowal placed third and seventh in the 100 and 200-meter breastroke finals in the 1996 Atlanta Olympic trials, failing to make the team.

Kristy Kowal placed third in the 200-meter breaststroke at the 2004 Athens Olympic trials in Long Beach, California, and did not qualify for the team.

Kristy Kowal missed out qualifying for the 2000 Olympic 100-meter trials, placing third by only.

Kristy Kowal performed well and qualified in the 200-meter US breast stroke trials swimming a US record time of 2:15.8, the third fastest time in the history of the event.

Kristy Kowal's University of Georgia Coach Jack Bauerle was an Assistant Coach for the US Olympic Women's swim team in 2000.

At 21, Kristy Kowal represented the United States at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, winning the silver medal in the 200-meter breaststroke with a time of 2:24.56, finishing only.

Kristy Kowal took an early lead and led through the first 100 meters, but Kovacs, who came from fifth place, bore down on Kristy Kowal and passed her in the final meters, taking the gold medal.

Kristy Kowal was inducted into the Pennsylvania Swimming Hall of Fame in 2009, the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame in 2010, University of Georgia's Circle of Honor in 2012 and the Georgia Aquatic Hall of Fame in 2013.