Amanda Beard
Categories: 1981 births | Sex symbols | Swimmers at the 2004 Summer Olympics | Olympic swimmers of the United States | US swimmers
Amanda Ray Beard (Irvine, California, October 29, 1981) is an American Olympic swimmer.
Beard made her first Olympic appearance at the 1996 games at the age of 14. She won silver medals in the 100-meter and 200-meter breaststrokes, and a gold in the medley relay. Her childlike manner captured the imagination of the media, and she was often photographed clutching her teddy bear, Harold, who joined her on the medal stand. She won a bronze in the 200-meter breaststroke at the 2000 Games.
| Gold medal | 1996 Atlanta | Swimming Women's 4x100m medley relay |
| Gold medal | 2004 Athens | Swimming Women's 200m breaststroke |
| Silver medal | 1996 Atlanta | Swimming Women's 100m breaststroke |
| Silver medal | 1996 Atlanta | Swimming Women's 200m breaststroke |
| Silver medal | 2004 Athens | Swimming Women's 200m individual medley |
| Silver medal | 2004 Athens | Swimming Women's 4x100m medley relay |
| Bronze medal | 2000 Sydney | Swimming Women's 200m breastroke |
In 2003 she became the world champion and world record holder for the 200m breaststroke. She made a good showing at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Swim Trials and competed in the 2004 Olympic Games, where she won gold in the 200-meter breaststroke, her first individual gold medal. She also won silver in the 200-meter individual medley and finished fourth in the 100-meter breaststroke.
Beard won eight U.S. champion titles (3 times both in 200m breaststroke and 100m breaststroke, 2 times in 200m individual medley). She is 1st in world ranking of 200m breasstroke since 2003.
Beard dated South African swimmer Ryk Neethling for nearly six years, but that relationship ended in the Spring of 2005. A NASCAR fan, Beard now dates Nextel Cup Series driver Carl Edwards. She is very popular in her country and is considered a sex symbol by many people. She a spokeperson for Defenders of Wildlife and enjoys interior decorating. Both of her sisters, Leah and Taryn, are swimmers.
Prime Time appearances
In November 24, 2004 Amanda Beard appeared in FOX's Quintuplets.
Personal bests
Beard's personal bests in long-course swimpools are:
- 100m breaststroke: 1:08.09
- 200m breaststroke: 2:23.37 (world record)
- 200m individual medley: 2:11.70 (American record)