Jenny Thompson
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"Jennifer Beth Thompson" is an American former competition swimming (sport)/swimmer, and one of the most decorated Olympic Games/Olympians in history, winning twelve medals, including eight gold medals, in the 1992 Summer Olympics/1992, 1996 Summer Olympics/1996, 2000 Summer Olympics/2000, and 2004 Summer Olympics.

Thompson, a Massachusetts native who calls Dover, New Hampshire her hometown, began swimming at age 7 at a summer country club called Cedardale in Groveland, Massachusetts. During the indoor season, she swam at the Danvers YMCA from ages 8 to 10, and then at the Andover-North Andover YMCA from the ages of 10 to 12. At age 12 she began swimming for Seacoast Swimming Association under coaches Amy and Mike Parratto, and moved to Dover at age 13.

She first appeared on the international scene as a 14-year-old in 1987, when she won the 50-meter freestyle and placed third in the 100-meter freestyle at the Pan American Games. She won her first world championship in 1991, as part of the USA's winning 4×100-meter freestyle relay team, and held the world record in the 50-meter and 100-meter freestyle when she participated in the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.

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You don't have to go to Baghdad, but you can be in Florida and be a part of what that story is all about.

People were really divided about whether it was appropriate.

When I first started [at Loyola], everything was free.

It was a good way to start my final meet but I still have a few races. I just wanted to keep the ball rolling for the U.S.

It's an interesting example of the way war shapes a culture.

[Though Coughlin publicly finalized her decision this weekend, she told teammate Jenny Thompson about it at a photo shoot in New York last month. That eases the road for Thompson, one of the medal favorites in the 100 fly at the trials.] I was like, 'Wow, thanks,' ... I was surprised, really, but she does have other choices to make.

It is getting harder and harder.

How can the university honor me for accomplishments in an endeavor which they clearly do not respect?