Gary Abraham (born 8 January 1959) is an English former competitive swimmer.
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Gary Abraham | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | Great Britain | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 8 January 1959 Southampton, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 64 kg (141 lb; 10.1 st) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Swimming | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Strokes | Backstroke, butterfly | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Southampton Swimming Club | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College team | University of Miami | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Swimming career
Abraham represented Great Britain in the Olympics and FINA world championships, as well as England in the Commonwealth games, during the 1970s and early 1980s. Abraham was an Olympic Games and Commonwealth Games medallist. As a 17-year-old, Abraham represented Great Britain at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Quebec. He competed in the 100-metre backstroke, and swam the backstroke leg for the British team in the preliminary heats of the men's 4x100-metre medley relay.
Abraham represented England at the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, winning two silver medals in the 100-metre backstroke and the 4x100-metre medley relay.[1][2] At the ASA National British Championships he won the 100 metres backstroke title six times (1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1981) and the 200 metres backstroke title in 1978.[3][4][5][6]
At the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, he earned a bronze medal by swimming the backstroke leg for the third-place British team in the 4×100-metre medley relay.[7] He was the first swimmer to utilise the rule permitting swimmers to swim 15 metres underwater at the start of certain events.
Abraham retired from competitive swimming in 1983. He currently coaches at Eastleigh Swimming Club.
Personal bests
- Long course (50 m)
| Event | Time |
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Date | Meet | Location | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 m butterfly | 55.42 | 23 August 1980 | Olympic Games | Moscow, Russia | Watch on YouTube | |
| 100 m backstroke | 57.72 | 24 August 1980 | Olympic Games | Moscow, Russia |
- Short course (33m)
| Event | Time |
|
Date | Meet | Location | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 110 yd backstroke | 59.80 | March 1981 | Hampshire County Championships | Southampton, United Kingdom | Source |
- Short course (25 m)
| Event | Time |
|
Date | Meet | Location | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 m butterfly | 58.79 | March 1982 | Hampshire County Championships | Southampton, United Kingdom | Source | |
| 100 m backstroke | 1:00:00 | March 1978 | Hampshire County Championships | Southampton, United Kingdom | Source |
See also
References
- ^ "1978 Athletes". Team England.
- ^ "Athletes and results". Commonwealth Games Federation. Archived from the original on 11 November 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
- ^ "Fox, Norman. "Swimming." Times, 26 May 1975, p. 9". Times Digital Archive.
- ^ ""A 13-year-old breaks the barrier." Times, 28 Aug. 1976, p. 18". Times Digital Archive.
- ^ ""Swimming." Times, 23 July 1977, p. 5". Times Digital Archive.
- ^ "Hennessy, John. "Swimming." Times, 29 May 1978, p. 12". Times Digital Archive.
- ^ David Wallechinsky, The Complete Book of the Summer Olympics: Sydney 2000 Edition, p. 736. Overlook Press (2000). ISBN 1-58567-046-4.
External links
- Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Gary Abraham". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 19 May 2011.
- Gary Abraham at World Aquatics
- Gary Abraham at SwimRankings.net
- Gary Abraham at Olympics.com
- Gary Abraham at Olympedia
- Gary Abraham at Team GB
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