Jason Edward Lezak (born November 12, 1975) is an American former competitiveswimmer and swimming executive who competed for the University of California, Santa Barbara. Lezak specialized in the 50 and 100-meter freestyle races, and represented the United States in fourOlympic Games where he won eight Olympic medals.
Lezak is known for his performance at the2008 Summer Olympics as the anchor for the United States during the men's4×100-meter freestyle relay, where his time of 46.06 seconds was the fastest 100 m freestyle split recorded to that date. Several sports historians and journalists considered the event one of the greatest and most memorable efforts by an American relay team of that era.[1][2]
Lezak was born inIrvine, California, the son of Linda (née Mann), a former elementary school science teacher, and David Lezak, a former leather goods salesman.[4] He isJewish.[5] The name Lezak is pronounced Leh-Zhack and is Polish (short e). Lezak attended El Camino Real Elementary School (now Woodbury Elementary School) andIrvine High School.[4]
Lezak trained and competed with theIrvine Novaquatics Swim Club underDave Salo by 2000, subsequent to his collegiate swimming years. He swam with the Novaquatics during his high school years according to a few sources.[6][7]
Lezak attended Irvine High School, graduating in 1994, and swam for theIrvine High School Vaquero's swimming program, a strong team under Coach Ken Dory who was in his seventh year as the team's coach in 1994. In 1993, the Irvine High swim team were Champions of the Sea View League and placed third in the CIF Division II Championship, but did not place second in the CIF Southern Section Championships until the 1998 and 1999 season and did not place first until the 2000-2001 seasons, after Lezak's tenure with the team.[8] Lezak was twice an All American as a high school swimmer, and had finished in the top four in the CIF Section Championships in the 100 and 50-yard freestyle events.[9]
Enrolling around 1995, Lezak attended theUniversity of California, Santa Barbara, where[4]he swam for theUC Santa Barbara Gauchos swimming and diving team from 1995 to 1998 under Gregg Wilson, who directed the Santa Barbara men's team from 1975-2015. A regional power, the UC Santa Barbara team under Wilson won the Big West Conference Swimming and Diving Championships each of the years Lezak swam with the team from 1995-1998.[10] Lezak was an All-American swimmer at Santa Barbara, and at the 2002 NCAA Championships, set 100-yard and 50-yard national records. His 100-yard freestyle title in 2002, was his third, and he was subsequently honored as a Pac-10 Conference Swimmer of the Year. From 1996-1998, Lezak was honored in three successive years as a Big West Conference Swimmer of the Year.[11] Lezak graduated the University in 1999 with a degree in Economics.[6]
Lezak lives inOrange County, California with his wife, the former Danielle DeVillers, a former swimmer and Olympic medalist. The couple have 3 children, Ryan, Blake, and Layla.[12][13]
At the2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Lezak was the oldest male on the U.S. swim team. He anchored the U.S.4×100-meter freestyle relay team that won the gold medal and set a new world record. At the start of the leg, Lezak trailed French anchorAlain Bernard by nearly a full body length. In the final 25 meters, with Bernard still leading by half a body length, Lezak overtook Bernard. The American team's final time of 3:08:24 was just 0.08 seconds ahead of the French team's 3:08.32, making it the closest finish in the event's history. Both teams finished nearly four seconds ahead of the previous world record.[15]
In short-course competitions, Lezak won five world championships: four relays including the 2002 4x100m freestyle and medley, and 2004 4x100m freestyle, and a gold in the 100-meter freestyle in 2004. Lezak has also won seven U.S. Championships, three times in the 50-meter freestyle and four in the 100-meter freestyle.
Lezak passed up on attending the2009 World Aquatics Championships to compete in the 18thMaccabiah Games in Israel from July 12 to 29, 2009.[21] Lezak was given the honor of lighting the Maccabiah torch at the Opening Ceremony.[22] At the2009 Maccabiah Games, Lezak won gold medals in the 50-meter freestyle, 100-meter freestyle, 4×100-meter freestyle relay, and 4×100-meter medley relay.[23]
At the2017 Maccabiah Games, in the special 4x50m relay race between Israeli and American all-star teams, American Olympic champions Lezak,Lenny Krayzelburg (four Olympic golds), andAnthony Ervin (three Olympic golds), with masters swimmer Alex Blavatnik, swam a time of 1:48.23 and defeated Israeli OlympiansGuy Barnea,Yoav Bruck,Eran Groumi, andTal Stricker, who had a time of 1:51.25.[24]
Lezak serves as the general manager for theCali Condors which is part of theInternational Swimming League. In 2019 the inaugural year of the league the Condors finished third place in the finals. As the top finishing American team, the Condors were led by high scorersCaeleb Dressel andLilly King.[25]
