1. Maritza Correia was the first female African-American swimmer for the United States to win an Olympic medal.
20 Facts About Maritza Correia
1. 2.
Maritza Correia became the first black American swimmer to set an American and world swimming record.
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In 1988, when Maritza Correia was seven years old, she was diagnosed with severe scoliosis.
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Maritza Correia's doctor recommended that she take swimming classes and use swimming as a treatment for her condition.
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Maritza Correia attended Tampa Bay Technical High School and joined the school's swimming team.
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Maritza Correia was a six-time Florida high school state champion in five different events.
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Maritza Correia was a member of the 1997 USA national junior team that competed in Sweden and the 1999 USA Short Course World Championships team that competed in Hong Kong.
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In 1999, Maritza Correia joined the University of Georgia Lady Bulldogs swimming and diving team.
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Maritza Correia aided the team when they won their title in the 400 m freestyle relay.
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Maritza Correia earned a share of the SEC Commissioner's Trophy for high-point honors.
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Maritza Correia was the first swimmer in Southeastern Conference history to win an SEC title in all freestyle events.
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Maritza Correia hoped to participate at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.
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Maritza Correia competed at the Olympic trials, but she failed to make the team.
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In 2001, Maritza Correia won a gold medal in the 800-meter freestyle and two bronze medals in the medley and 400-meter freestyle relay as a member of the US team at the 2001 World Championships in Japan.
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In 2002, Maritza Correia became the national champion in both the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyle and was a member of two winning relay teams at the NCAA Championships in Austin, Texas.
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Maritza Correia set the NCAA, American, and US Open records with a time of 21.69 in the 50-yard freestyle, surpassing Amy Van Dyken's mark of 21.77 set in 1994.
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Maritza Correia earned seven All-American certificates and was awarded the Commissioner's Cup as the high point scorer in the SEC Championships.
18.
Maritza Correia became the first female African-American swimmer to win an Olympic medal for the United States.
19.
Maritza Correia attended the University of Georgia as a sociology major and graduated in 2005.
20.
In March 2010, Maritza Correia married Chad McClendon, and on January 1,2012, their son Kason was born.