The Olympic Dictionary 92 JAGER THOMAS MICHAEL
The Olympic Dictionary J JAGER THOMAS MICHAEL “TOM” (swimming, USA, b. East St. Louis, Illinois, 6/10/1964). Three appearances (1984, 1988, 1992), 5 gold medals (4x100 freestyle 1984, 1988 and 1992, 4x100 medley 1984 and 1988), one silver (50 freestyle, 1988) and one bronze (50 freestyle, 1992). 1984 2- 0-0, 1988 2-1-0, 1992 1-0-1. He won 3 gold medals racing only in the heats with the American relay team, and another 2 swimming in the final, the third leg of the 4x100 freestyle relay in 1988 (setting the world record time of 3:16.53) and in 1992. In 1988, he had not lost against Matt Biondi (q.v.) in the 50 freestyle for 2 years, including the 1986 World Championships and the 1988 Trials, but he finished 22 hundredths behind his rival; 4 years later, he held the world record at 21.81 (he had set it, seen live on TV, in 1990, in a race with Biondi), but on that occasion he was beaten by Biondi and also by the Russian Aleksandr Popov (q.v.) who won the gold medal. In 1996 he tried to qualify for his fourth Olympiad, but he did not get through the Trials. He won 4 World Championship gold medals (50 freestyle and 4x100 freestyle, 1986-91) and set 6 world records for the 50 freestyle: the last, 21.81 as mentioned, remained unbeaten for 10 years. He won 11 US titles. JAMAICA (Caribbean, capital Kingston, area 10.991 km2, population 2.713.782). 42 medals: 7 gold, 21 silver, 14 bronze.
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