Dan Kutler
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Dan Kutler (born May 2, 1970 in Mountain View, California) is a former butterfly swimmer, who was born in the United States, and swam for Israel in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.
Kutler began his swimming career after falling into a pool as a youngster, and swam his first race at the age of eight.
Growing up in California, Kutler was a seven-time All-America while attending UCLA.
In 1991, he won a gold medal in the 4x100 medley relay and a bronze in the 100m butterfly for the United States at the World University Games.
In 1995, Kutler began competing for Israel internationally, earning multiple gold, silver and bronze medals on the World Cup circuit, in preparation for the 1996 Olympics. At the European Championships in Vienna, he helped the 4x100 m medley relay team finish in 6th place with a time of 3:44.94, which qualified them for the1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia.
That year, he also broke the Israeli national record in the 100m butterfly with a time of 55.16, a record he would break again at the 1996 Olympics.
[edit] Olympics
Kutler was part of the Israeli swimming team at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. At those Games, Kutler was a member of the 4x100-meter medley relay team – alongside breaststroker Vadim Alexeev, freestyler Yoav Bruck and backstroker Eithan Urbach – which advanced to the final after finishing 4th in their preliminary heat with a time of 3:42.24. It was the first time an Israeli team competed in an Olympic swimming final. Kutler and his teammates finished in 8th place with a time of 3:42.90.
[edit] Maccabiah Games
In 1997, Kutler won the 100m butterfly at the Maccabiah Games.