Cynthia Woodhead

Cynthia Woodhead
Personal information
Full name Cynthia Lee Woodhead
Nickname(s) "Sippy"
Nationality  United States
Born February 7, 1964 (1964-02-07) (age 48)
Riverside, California
Height 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)
Sport
Sport Swimming
Stroke(s) Freestyle
Club Mission Viejo Nadadores

Cynthia ("Sippy") Woodhead (born 7 February 1964) is an American swimmer, world champion, olympic medalist and world record holder. She won three gold medals at the 1978 world championships, when she was only fourteen years old.[1] She set seven world records during her career.[1]

Contents

Career

Woodhead received three gold medals (in the 200 m freestyle, 4x100 m freestyle relay and 4x100 m medley relay) and two silver medals at the 1978 World Aquatics Championships in Berlin, when she was only 14 years old.[1]

At the 1979 Pan American Games in San Juan she received five gold medals. She won the 100 m, 200 m and 400 m freestyle, as well as being part of the winning teams at the 4x100 m freestyle relay and 4x100 m medley relay.

Woodhead had qualified for six events at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, and was regarded to be among the favorites in the four individual distances, as she was ranked world number one in 100 m, 200 m, 400 m and 800 m freestyle. Due to the American boycott of Moscow Olympics, she did not get the chance to participate. This was a great disappointment for her, and she has said that the boycott may have triggered her later health problems.[2]

In late 1981 and 1982 she suffered from several health problems – mononucleosis, a broken leg, and pneumonia.[1]

Woodhead competed at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, where she received a silver medal in 200 m freestyle.[3]

She improved the world record in 50 metres freestyle, long course, 10 April 1980, but the record was further improved by Jill Sterkel the same day. She improved the world record in 200 metres freestyle, long course, three times, in 1978 and 1979, her last result remained a world record until 1984. She was a member of the American team that held the world record in 4x100 metres freestyle relay from 1978 to 1980.

Awards

Woodhead was selected USOC SportsWoman of the Year 1979. She was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in 1994.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e CYNTHIA "SIPPY" WOODHEAD (USA) – 1994 Honor Swimmer – International Swimming Hall of Fame (Retrieved on 10 September 2008)
  2. ^ Sharon Robb: Cynthia "Sippy" Woodhead – USA Swimming - Heroes of the Past (Retrieved on 11 September 2008)
  3. ^ 1984 Summer Olympics – Los Angeles, United States – Swimming" – databaseOlympics.com (Retrieved on 10 September 2008)

External links
Men's Team

Steve Barnicoat • Bill Barrett • Craig Beardsley • Mike Bottom • Mike Bruner • Rick Carey • Chris Cavanaugh • Jeff Float • Billy Forrester • Rowdy Gaines • Brian Goodell • Matt Gribble • John Hencken • Bob Jackson • Kris Kirchner • David Larson • Steve Lundquist • Glenn Mills • John Moffet • Ron Neugent • William Paulus • Peter Rocca • Brian Roney • John Simons • Dave Sims • Dave Thornton • Jesse Vassallo
Women's Team

Terri Baxter • Lisa Buese • Linda Burton • Kim Carlisle • Tracy Caulkins • Stephanie Elkins • Nancy Hogshead • Linda Jezek • Libby Kinkead • Karin LaBerge • Kim Linehan • Marybeth Linzmeier • Mary T. Meagher • Joan Pennington • Susan Rapp • Jill Sterkel • Susie Thayer • Sue Walsh • Sippy Woodhead
Coaches

Paul Bergen • Don Gambril • George Haines • Denny Pursley • Randy Reese • Mark Schubert
Men's Team

Matt Biondi • Rick Carey • Chris Cavanaugh • George DiCarlo • Jeff Float • Geoffrey Gaberino • Rowdy Gaines • Matt Gribble • Bruce Hayes • Mike Heath • Tom Jager • Patrick Kennedy • Jeff Kostoff • David Larson • Robin Leamy • Steve Lundquist • John Moffet • Pablo Morales • John Mykkanen • Mike O'Brien • Rich Saeger • Rich Schroeder • Jesse Vassallo • Dave Wilson
Women's Team

Theresa Andrews • Tracy Caulkins • Tiffany Cohen • Sue Heon • Nancy Hogshead • Jenna Johnson • Kim Linehan • Mary T. Meagher • Betsy Mitchell • Susan Rapp • Kim Rhodenbaugh • Michele Richardson • Carrie Steinseifer • Jill Sterkel • Dara Torres • Tori Trees • Mary Wayte • Amy White • Sippy Woodhead
Coaches

Ron Ballatore • Ray Bussard • Don Gambril • George Haines • Charlie Hodgson • Doug Ingram • Frank Keefe • Skip Kenney • Richard Quick • Randy Reese • Mark Schubert