Janet Evans

American swimmer Janet Evans is widely considered to be the greatest distance freestyle swimmer of all time. In 1987 she broke three world records when she was just 15 years old – the 400m, 800m and 1,500m freestyle – and won her first gold medal at the Seoul Olympics a year later. Evans was the first ever swimmer to win back-to-back world championship and Olympic titles in the same event, gaining victory in the 800-metre freestyle at the 1988 and 1992 Olympics and the 1991 and 1994 world championships. Evans was named the Female World Swimmer of the Year in 1987, 1989, and 1990 by Swimming World Magazine and she received the James E. Sullivan Award for top amateur athlete in the United States in 1989.

Born in Fullerton, California, Evans was a natural in the water from an incredibly early age, swimming laps in the pool at the age of two and breaking national records by the time she was 11. As she rose through the ranks of competitive swimming, she became known for her slight build and unorthodox “windmill” stroke, often competing and winning against larger and stronger athletes. After shattering three world records when she was only 15, she dominated every event she entered at the Seoul Olympics, earning the nickname “Miss Perpetual Motion.” Between 1986 and 1995 she won 22 from 23 major international races at 800m and 25 of 27 races at 400m.

Since retiring from her remarkable swimming career, Evans has worked as a corporate spokesperson and motivational speaker for companies including Cadillac, Xerox and Speedo. In 2019 she took on the role of the chief athlete office for the 2028 Summer Olympics organising committee.