Maritza Correia

Correia in April 2016
Personal information
Nickname	"Ritz"
National team	United States
Born	(1981-12-23)December 23, 1981 (age 43) San Juan, Puerto Rico
Height	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Weight	134 lb (61 kg)
Website	www.maritzamcclendon.com
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Strokes	Freestyle
Club	Brandon Blue Wave
College team	University of Georgia
Medal record Women's swimming Representingthe United States Olympic Games 2004 Athens 4x100 m freestyle World Championships (LC) 2003 Barcelona 4×100 m freestyle 2001 Fukuoka 4×100 m freestyle World Championships (SC) 2006 Shanghai 4x100 m medley 2006 Shanghai 100 m freestyle Pan American Games 2007 Rio[1] 4x100 m freestyle 2007 Rio 4x100 m medley Summer Universiade 2005 Izmir 50 m freestyle 2005 Izmir 4x100 m freestyle 2005 Izmir 4x100 m medley

Maritza Correia (born December 23, 1981), also known by her married nameMaritza McClendon, is a former Olympicswimmer from Puerto Rico who swam representing the United States.^[2] When she qualified for the U.S. Olympic team in 2004, she became the firstPuerto Rican ofAfrican descent to be a member of the U.S. Olympic swimming team. She was the first femaleAfrican-American swimmer for theUnited States to win anOlympic medal. She also became the firstblack American swimmer to set anAmerican and world swimming record.^[3]

Correia was born and raised inSan Juan, Puerto Rico. Her parents, Vincent and Anne, had moved there fromGuyana. In 1988, when Correia was seven years old, she was diagnosed with severescoliosis.^[4] Her doctor recommended that she take swimming classes and use swimming as a treatment for her condition. In 1990, her family moved and settled inTampa, Florida.^[5]

Correia attendedTampa Bay Technical High School and joined the school's swimming team. In 1999, she became the 50-meter freestyle U.S. national champion in the 18-and-under category.^[6] She was also a six-time Florida high school state champion in five different events. Correia was a member of the 1997 USA national junior team that competed inSweden and the 1999 USA Short Course World Championships team that competed in Hong Kong.^[4]

In 1999, Correia joined theUniversity of Georgia Lady Bulldogs swimming and diving team.^[7] She aided the team when they won their title in the 400 m freestyle relay. She earned a share of the SEC Commissioner's Trophy for high-point honors. Correia was the first swimmer inSoutheastern Conference history to win an SEC title in all freestyle events. During her college career she was a 27-time All-American, and 11-time NCAA champion.^[6]

Correia hoped to participate at the2000 Summer Olympics inSydney. She competed at theOlympic trials, but she failed to make the team.^[6]

In 2001, 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 U.S. team at the 2001 World Championships inJapan.^[6]

In 2002, Correia became the national champion in both the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyle and was a member of two winning relay teams at theNCAA Championships inAustin, Texas. She set the NCAA, American, and U.S. Open records with a time of 21.69 in the 50-yard freestyle, surpassingAmy Van Dyken's mark of 21.77 set in 1994. She earned twenty-sevenAll-American certificates and was awarded the Commissioner's Cup as the high point scorer in the SEC Championships.^[6]

In July 2003, Correia earned a gold medal swimming in a preliminary heat of the4 × 100-meter freestyle relay at theWorld Aquatics Championships inBarcelona,Spain.

2004 Summer Olympics
	4x100 m freestyle relay	3:36.39

She earned an Olympic silver medal swimming the prelims of the4 × 100-meter freestyle relay at the2004 Summer Olympics inAthens,Greece in August 2004. Correia became the first female African-American swimmer to win anOlympic medal for the United States.^[8]

In October 2004, she won a gold medal swimming the prelims of the 4 × 100-meter freestyle relay at theShort Course World Championships inIndianapolis.

Correia attended the University of Georgia as a sociology major and graduated in 2005.

In 2005, she won three gold medals at the2005 Summer Universiade inIzmir, Turkey.^[7]

In March 2010, Maritza married Chad McClendon, and on January 1, 2012, their son Kason was born. On September 25, 2013, the family added a daughter, Sanaya Anne.^[9][10] McClendon is a member ofSigma Gamma Rho sorority.

• 2004 Olympic silver medalist: 4 × 100 freestyle relay
• First African American female to make the U.S. Olympic swim team
• 2000 NCAA champion: 200-meter freestyle, 400-meter freestyle relay, 400-meter medley relay
• 2001 NCAA champion: 800-yard freestyle relay
• 2002 NCAA champion: 50-yard freestyle, 100-yard freestyle, 200-yard freestyle relay, 400-yard freestyle relay
• 2003 NCAA champion: 50-yard freestyle, 100-yard freestyle
• 2000-03 27-time All-American
• World record-holder in the 400-yard medley relay SCM at 2000 NCAA Championships
• American, NCAA, U.S. Open record holder: 50-yard freestyle (21.69) in 2002
• American, NCAA, U.S. Open record Holder: 200-yard freestyle relay (1:28.74) in 2002
• American, NCAA, U.S. Open record holder: 400-yard freestyle relay (3:13.71) in 2002
• 2001, 2003 two-time world champion in 4 × 100 m freestyle relay
• 2005 World University Games gold medalist: 50-meter freestyle, 4 × 100-meter freestyle relay, 4 × 100-meter medley relay, 4 × 200-meter freestyle relay
• 2006 World Championships silver medalist: 100-meter freestyle
• 2007 Pan American Games champion: 4 × 100-meter freestyle relay, 4 × 100-meter medley relay

• List of Puerto Ricans
• List of Guyanese Americans
• List of Olympic medalists in swimming (women)
• List of University of Georgia people
• List of World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming (women)
• Pan American Games records in swimming
• World record progression 4 × 100 metres medley relay

• Maritza Correia at the U.S. Olympic Team at theWayback Machine (archived 2008-05-15)
• Maritza Correia atOlympics.com
• Maritza Correia at OlympicChannel.com (archived)
• Ritz Correia atOlympedia
• Swim Champions Fitter and Faster Tour
• Arluck Promotions Agency^{[permanent dead link]}
• Parting the Waters

• 1981 births
• Living people
• American female freestyle swimmers
• American people of Guyanese descent
• Sportspeople of Guyanese descent
• World record setters in swimming
• Georgia Bulldogs women's swimmers
• Medalists at the FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m)
• Olympic silver medalists for the United States in swimming
• Sportspeople from San Juan, Puerto Rico
• Puerto Rican female swimmers
• Swimmers at the 2004 Summer Olympics
• World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming
• Medalists at the 2004 Summer Olympics
• Summer World University Games medalists in swimming
• Medalists at the 2005 Summer Universiade
• FISU World University Games gold medalists for the United States
• Swimmers at the 2007 Pan American Games
• Medalists at the 2007 Pan American Games
• Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States in swimming
• Puerto Rican people of African descent
• African-American swimmers
• 21st-century Puerto Rican sportswomen

• Articles using Cite sports-reference with Wikidata
• Webarchive template wayback links
• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Use mdy dates from September 2015
• Pages using infobox sportsperson with textcolor
• Pages using infobox swimmer with national team parameter
• All articles with dead external links
• Articles with dead external links from June 2017
• Articles with permanently dead external links