Tracy Ann Route (born February 23, 1985) is a Micronesian former swimmer, who specialized in sprint freestyle and butterfly events.[1] She is a two-time Olympian (2000 and 2004), and holds numerous Pacific age group records in the freestyle and butterfly (both 50 and 100 m). She was the first woman to represent the Federated States of Micronesia at the Olympics.[2]

Tracy Ann Route
Personal information
Full nameTracy Ann Route
National team Micronesia
Born (1985-02-23) 23 February 1985 (age 39)
Height1.57 m (5 ft 2 in)
Weight43 kg (95 lb)
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesFreestyle, butterfly

When Micronesia marked its Olympic debut at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Route competed as a 15-year-old in the women's 100 m butterfly. Swimming in heat one, she rounded out a field to last place and forty-ninth overall against Swaziland's Lisa de la Motte and Malta's Angela Galea with a slowest time of 1:13.53.[3][4]

At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Route decided to swim only for the 50 m freestyle. She received a Universality place from FINA in an entry time of 32.44.[5][6] She challenged six other swimmers in heat two, including 14-year-olds Sameera Al-Bitar of Bahrain and Christal Clashing of Antigua and Barbuda. She posted a lifetime best of 31.26 to earn a third spot by 0.26 of a second behind joint winners Al-Bitar and Ghazal El Jobeili of Lebanon. Route failed to advance into the semifinals, as she shared a sixty-fifth place tie with Maldives' Aminath Rouya Hussain on the last day of prelims.[7][8]

References

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  1. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Tracy Ann Route". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 7 May 2013.
  2. ^ "First female competitors at the Olympics by country". Olympedia. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
  3. ^ "Sydney 2000: Swimming – Women's 100m Butterfly Heat 1" (PDF). Sydney 2000. LA84 Foundation. p. 224. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 August 2011. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
  4. ^ Newberry, Paul (16 September 2000). "Thompson anchors U.S. relay win; Thorpe wins 400 free". Canoe.ca. Archived from the original on June 15, 2013. Retrieved 28 May 2013.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  5. ^ "Swimming – Women's 50m Freestyle Startlist (Heat 2)" (PDF). Athens 2004. Omega Timing. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
  6. ^ "Minginifel qualifies for Athens Olympics". FSM National Government. 20 August 2004. Retrieved 7 May 2013.
  7. ^ "Women's 50m Freestyle Heat 2". Athens 2004. BBC Sport. 20 August 2004. Retrieved 31 January 2013.
  8. ^ Thomas, Stephen (20 August 2004). "Women's 50 Freestyle, Prelims Day 7: Inky Sizzles in World Best 24.66, Joyce Next in PR 25.06, Jenny Thompson Makes It Too". Swimming World Magazine. Archived from the original on 4 February 2012. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
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