Saturday, March 3, 2007

The Beauty of Sport: Olympic swimming champion Amanda Beard

When she first appeared at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, swimmer Amanda Beard wasn't even a woman. At fourteen, she was still carrying a teddy bear. But, thanks to her ability to plow through water like a rototiller through dirt, she won the silver medal in two breaststroke races and a gold medal in a relay. She became America's sweetheart.

As you can see, she's since grown up!


In her twenties, Amanda Beard has garnered more medals and records - she curently holds the world record in the 200-meter women's breaststroke - and has also (big surprise!) modeled, including a gig for Sports Illustrated's annual swimsuit issue. This has pretty much made her the only SI swimsuit model who ever became famous for using a swimsuit for what it's meant for - swimming! :-D

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