Natalie Anne Coughlin Hall (born August 23, 1982) is an American former competition swimmer and twelve-time Olympic medalist. While attending theUniversity of California, Berkeley, she became the first woman ever to swim the100-meter backstroke (long course) in less than one minute. At the2008 Summer Olympics, she became the first U.S. female athlete in modern Olympic history to win six medals in one Olympiad, and the first woman ever to win a 100-meter backstroke gold in two consecutive Olympics.[2] At the2012 Summer Olympics, in her third and final Olympic appearance, she earned a bronze medal in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay.
Coughlin's success has earned her theWorld Swimmer of the Year Award once andAmerican Swimmer of the Year Award three times. She has won a total of sixty medals in major international competition, twenty-five gold, twenty-two silver, and thirteen bronze spanning the Olympics, theWorld, thePan Pacific Championships, and thePan American Games.
Coughlin was born inVallejo, California, the daughter of Jim and Zennie Coughlin.[3] She is of Irish and one quarter Filipino ancestry.[4] Coughlin first began swimming at Vallejo Aquatics Club when she was 8 years old, where she was coached by Tuffy Williams.[5] She attendedSt. Catherine of Siena School in Vallejo, for kindergarten through eighth grade, and thenCarondelet High School inConcord, California. While in high school in 1998, she became the first swimmer to qualify for the Summer National in all fourteen events.[6] Coughlin broke two individual national high school records in the 200-yard individual medley (1:58.45) and the 100-yard backstroke (52.86). She graduated from Carondelet High School in 2000.
Coughlin attended theUniversity of California, Berkeley, where she swam for coachTeri McKeever'sCalifornia Golden Bears swimming and diving team inNational Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) competition from 2001 to 2004.[7] During her four years as a Cal Bears swimmer, she won eleven individual NCAA national championships, and a twelfth NCAA relay title. She was recognized as the NCAA Swimmer of the Year for three consecutive years, and she was a two-time recipient of theHonda Sports Award for Swimming and Diving, recognizing her as the outstanding college female swimmer in 2001–02 and 2002–03.[8][9]Sports Illustrated magazine named her its college Female Athlete of the Year. Coughlin was inducted into the Cal Athletic Hall of Fame in 2014.[10] Coughlin graduated from Berkeley with a degree in psychology in the spring of 2005.[11][12]
At theninth World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, Coughlin won three medals—one gold, one silver, and one bronze. She won her gold medal in the100-meter backstroke with Diana Mocanu (Romania) taking the silver and Antje Buschschulte (Germany) taking the bronze. Coughlin won her silver medal in the women's4×100-meter medley relay, teaming up withMegan Quann,Mary Descenza, andErin Phenix; the Australians won the gold (Calub, Jones, Thomas, Ryan). Coughlin won her bronze medal in the50-meter backstroke; fellow American Haley Cope won gold and Antje Buschschulte won the silver.
At theninth Pan Pacific Championships in Yokohama, Japan, Coughlin won six medals—four golds and two silvers. Coughlin won one of her gold medals in the women's100-meter backstroke with a time of 59.72, and another in the women's100-meter butterfly with a time of 57.88. Coughlin won her third gold medal in the women's100-meter freestyle with a time of 53.99. She won her fourth gold medal in the women's4×200-meter freestyle relay with Elizabeth Hill, Diana Munz, and Lindsay Benko. She won her silver medals as a member of the second-place U.S. relay teams in the4×100-meter freestyle and4×100-meter medley events.
At thetenth World Aquatics Championships in Barcelona, Spain, Coughlin won two medals, including a gold and a silver. Coughlin won her gold medal in the women's4×100-meter freestyle relay and a silver medal in the4×100-medley relay.
| 2004 Olympics | ||
|---|---|---|
 | 2004 Athens | 100 m backstroke |
| 2004 Athens | 4x200 m freestyle relay |
 | 2004 Athens | 4x100 m freestyle relay |
| 2004 Athens | 4x100 m medley relay |
 | 2004 Athens | 100 m freestyle |
Coughlin won the gold medal at the 2004 Olympics in the women's100-meter backstroke event and won a silver medal as a member of the U.S. women's4×100-meter freestyle relay team withKara Lynn Joyce,Amanda Weir andJenny Thompson. She also broke a world record and won gold as a member of the4×200-meter freestyle relay, a silver in the4×100-meter medley relay, and a bronze in the100-meter freestyle.[13][14]
At theeleventh World Aquatics Championships in Montreal, Quebec, Coughlin won five medals, including a gold and 2 silvers and 2 bronzes. Coughlin won a gold medal in the women's200 m freestyle relay and silver medals in the100 meter medley relay and the100 m freestyle. She also won bronze medals in the100 m backstroke and the100m freestyle relay.
Coughlin worked as an in-studio host forMSNBC during the2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy.[citation needed]
At the2007 World Aquatics Championships, Coughlin won five medals: two gold, two silver, and one bronze. In her first event, the4×100-meter freestyle relay, Coughlin won a silver medal along withLacey Nymeyer,Amanda Weir, andKara Lynn Joyce.[15] The following day, in the100-meter butterfly, she placed third in the final with a time of 57.34, an American record.[16] In the100-meter backstroke final, held the following day, she broke her own world record set in 2002 with a time of 59.44.[17][18] After a day of rest, Coughlin was back in the pool to swim the lead-off leg in the4×200-meter freestyle relay. Swimming in lane eight, Coughlin set the American record with a time of 1:56.43, to breakKatie Hoff's one-day-old record of 1:57.09.[19]Dana Vollmer, Lacey Nymeyer, and Katie Hoff each extended the lead and the final time of 7:50.09 was a world record.[20] The following day, Coughlin finished in 4th place in the100-meter freestyle despite setting the championship record in the semi-finals.[21] In her last event, the4×100-meter medley relay, Coughlin won a silver medal along withTara Kirk,Rachel Komisarz, and Lacey Nymeyer.[22]
| 2008 Olympics | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2008 Beijing | 100 m backstroke |
| 2008 Beijing | 4x100 m freestyle relay |
| 2008 Beijing | 4x100 m medley relay |
| 2008 Beijing | 100 m freestyle |
| 2008 Beijing | 200 m IM |
| 2008 Beijing | 4x200 m freestyle relay |
In Coughlin's second Olympics appearance, at Beijing in 2008, she became the first American female athlete to win six medals in one Olympics.[23] She was elected joint captain of the US women's swimming team together with five-time OlympianDara Torres and four-time OlympianAmanda Beard.[24] Coughlin won the gold medal in the100-meter backstroke at those Olympiads, the inaugural woman to successfully defend a gold medal standing in that event. Her world record was surpassed in the semi-final byKirsty Coventry, who would take the silver behind Coughlin in the final. Standing on the medal platform, her lip was still bleeding having bitten it during the race to distract her from the pain in her legs.[25] She won a silver medal in the4×100-meter freestyle relay, swimming withLacey Nymeyer, Kara Lynn Joyce and Dara Torres, and also won bronze medals in the200-meter individual medley,4×200-meter freestyle relay, and the100-meter freestyle. She won a silver medal in her final race in the4×100-meter medley relay swimming withRebecca Soni,Christine Magnuson, and Dara Torres.
After taking an 18-month hiatus from swimming, Coughlin returned to competition at the2010 Conoco Phillips Summer Nationals. Coughlin qualified for Pan Pacific in the 100-meter backstroke with a time of 1:00.14.[26]
Before racing at thePan Pacs, Coughlin, along withAmanda Beard, was elected co-captain of Team USA once again. In the finals of the100-meter freestyle, Natalie Coughlin won the gold, making a newPan Pacific record (53.67). In the finals of the100-meter backstroke, Coughlin finished third (59.70) behind Australia'sEmily Seebohm and Japan'sAya Terakawa. Coughlin won two more golds when starting off both the4×100-meter freestyle relay and the4×100-meter medley relay.[27]
At the14th World Aquatics Championships in Shanghai, China, Coughlin won three medals–one gold, one silver, and one bronze. She won a gold medal in the women's4×100-meter medley relay with fellow Americans Rebecca Soni, Dana Vollmer, and Missy Franklin with a time of 3:52.36. She won a silver medal in the women's4×100-meter freestyle relay with fellow Americans Missy Franklin, Jessica Hardy, and Dana Vollmer with a time of 3:34.47 with the Netherlands touching first with a time of 3:33.96. She won a bronze medal in the women's100-meter backstroke, her only individual medal at these championships, with a 59.15. Coughlin led for the entire race, when in the last couple meters, Zhao Jing and Anastasia Zueva edged her out.
At the2012 United States Olympic Trials in Omaha, Nebraska, the U.S. qualifying event for the Olympics, the 29-year-old veteran Coughlin found herself in competition with a younger generation of American swimmers. In order to qualify for the U.S. team in a given individual event, swimmers are required to finish among the top two. In the finals of the 100-meter backstroke, she finished third behind teenagersMissy Franklin andRachel Bootsma, and finished seventh in the 100-meter butterfly. Coughlin also competed in the 100-meter freestyle, and finished sixth, qualifying to compete as a member of the U.S. women's team in the preliminaries of the 4×100-meter freestyle relay.
At the2012 Summer Olympics in London, she swam in the qualifying round of the4×100-meter freestyle relay, and did not swim in the 4×100-meter final, but earned a bronze medal when the U.S. team placed third in the final. It was her twelfth Olympic medal, tying the record previously set by American swimmersJenny Thompson andDara Torres for the most career Olympic medals won by a female U.S. athlete.[28] This record has since been surpassed byKatie Ledecky.
At the 2013 Phillips 66 National Championships, which also served as the selection meet for the World Championships, Coughlin decided to only take up the sprint freestyles and swam the 50 and 100-meter freestyle events. Coughlin qualified for the 50-meter freestyle and the 4×100-meter freestyle relay. Coughlin finished first in the 50-meter freestyle with a 24.97, just ahead of 16-year-oldSimone Manuel, who swam a 25.01.[29] With the first-place finish in the 50-meter freestyle, Coughlin ensured herself a relay spot since she had finished 5th in the 100-meter freestyle, with a time of 54.04.[30]
She won a gold medal at the event on the first night of swimming competition in the4×100 freestyle relay. She went second for team USA and swam her leg in 52.98 seconds; she was one of 6 women in the field of 32 to break the 53-second barrier.
In her final triumph, two months before her 33rd birthday in 2015, she set an American record of 27.51 seconds in the 50-meter backstroke.
Coughlin was the spokeswoman for C20 Coconut Water.[31]
One of Coughlin's favorite hobbies is cooking. During the2008 Summer Olympics, she was invited to prepare a Chinese-themed dish onToday. She has appeared as a judge onIron Chef America.[32] She appeared onFood Network'sChopped Sport Stars episode that first aired on September 3, 2013.
Coughlin competed inseason 9 ofDancing with the Stars withseason 1 professional champion,Alec Mazo.[33][34] She was eliminated on the fifth episode.
Coughlin appeared in the 2012Sports IllustratedSwimsuit Issue.[35] She has also written a book calledGolden Girl.
In 2013, Coughlin appeared inChopped where she lost in the final round toDanica Patrick.[36] While on the show she mentioned she grows a vegetable and herb garden in her backyard, as well as raising backyard chickens.
Coughlin appeared on one of the covers for the 2015ESPN The MagazineThe Body Issue[37] and in July/August 2016, the cover ofSelf's Olympics themed issue.
Also in 2015, Coughlin became a brand ambassador and investor in a frozen food company,Luvo Inc.[38]
In 2017, she became a partner in Gaderian Wines, a winemaking operation in Napa Valley.[39]
In 2021, Coughlin was inducted into theBay Area Sports Hall of Fame.[40]
In 2023, Coughlin was elected vice-chair and chair-elect for the board of directors ofUSA Swimming.[41] She will be vice-chair until 2025 and then serve a four-year term as board chair until 2029.
In April 2009, Coughlin married Ethan Hall, the Crow Canyon Sharks swim coach.[42] They have a daughter born in 2018,[43] and a son, born in 2020.
| Event | Time | Venue | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 m backstroke | 27.51 | Santa Clara | June 19, 2015 | Former NR |
| 100 m backstroke | 58.94 (r) | Beijing | August 17, 2008 | |
| 200 m backstroke | 2:08.53 | Fort Lauderdale | August 16, 2002 | |
| 50 m butterfly | 26.50 | Montreal | July 29, 2005 | |
| 100 m butterfly | 57.34 | Melbourne | March 26, 2007 | |
| 50 m freestyle | 24.66 | Toronto | July 17, 2015 | |
| 100 m freestyle | 53.39 | Beijing | August 15, 2008 | |
| 200 m freestyle | 1:56.43 (r) | Melbourne | March 29, 2007 | |
| 200 m individual medley | 2:09.77 | Los Angeles | June 6, 2008 |
| Event | Time | Venue | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 m backstroke | 27.08 | East Meadow | November 22, 2002 | NR |
| 100 m backstroke | 55.97 (r) | Atlanta | December 16, 2011 | AM,NR |
| 200 m backstroke | 2:03.62 | East Meadow | November 27, 2001 | |
| 50 m butterfly | 25.83 | East Meadow | n/a | |
| 100 m butterfly[a] | 56.23 | Atlanta | December 16, 2011 | |
| 50 m freestyle | 24.31 | Atlanta | December 17, 2011 | |
| 100 m freestyle | 51.88 (r) | Dubai | December 18, 2010 | AM,NR |
| 100 m individual medley | 58.55 | Viareggio | November 15, 2014 | AM,NR |
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| Records | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Women's 100-meter backstroke world record-holder (long course) August 13, 2002 – June 30, 2008 June 30, 2008 – August 11, 2008 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Women's 100-meter backstroke world record-holder (short course) November 29, 2001 – February 22, 2009 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Women's 200-meter backstroke world record-holder (short course) November 27, 2001 – February 23, 2008 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Women's 100-meter butterfly world record-holder (short course) November 22, 2002 – August 28, 2006 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Women's 100-meter individual medley world record-holder (short course) November 23, 2002 – August 10, 2009 | Succeeded by |
| Awards | ||
| Preceded by | Swimming World World Swimmer of the Year 2002 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Swimming World American Swimmer of the Year 2001 & 2002 2008 | Succeeded by |
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