Deborah Babashoff

Deborah Babashoff (born 1970) is an American former competition swimmer who excelled in freestyle distance events.

Deborah Babashoff
Personal information
Full nameDeborah Babashoff
Nickname(s)"Debbie"
National team United States
Born1970
Whittier, California
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesFreestyle
ClubMission Viejo Nadadores
College teamUniversity of Miami
Medal record
Women's swimming
Representing United States
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place 1986 Madrid 800 m freestyle
Pan American Games
Silver medal – second place 1987 Indianapolis 800 m freestyle

Shirley won her first national title in the 500 freestyle at the Short Course Nationals, in March, 1985.[1] Showing consistency at longer distances, she placed third in the 1500 M freestyle with a time of 16:48.37 at the Speedo Swim Meet of Champions at Mission Viejo on June 23, 1985. Her 4x100 Freestyle Relay team composed of the Mission Viejo Nadadores, also took first place.[2]

1986 World Aquatics Championships

On June 24, 1986, she qualified for that years World Aquatics Championships which was to be held in Madrid by winning the 400 meter freestyle at the World Aquatics Trials in Orlando, Florida, with a personal best time of 4:09.97. At the time, she was training with the Mission Viejo Nadadores. Later, in Madrid, she won the bronze medal in the 800-meter freestyle event at the World Championships.[3][4]

1987 Pan American Games

Next year she won a silver medal at the 1987 Pan American Games in the same event, and in 1989 a national title in the 1500-meter freestyle.[5][1]

In 1988, she took second behind Janet Evans in the 1500 freestyle at the U.S. Indoor Championships at Orlando, Florida with a time of 16:27.40.3.[6]

Family and coaches

Debbie was born to Vera and Jack Babashoff in Whittier, California. Her father had been a swimming instructor in Hawaii and always wanted his own children to become Olympians.[7] Both of her parents are second-generation Russian Americans.[7] She attended Fountain Valley High School near Huntington Beach, California.[8] Prior to college, she was coached by Flip Dar with the Irvine Novaquatics which she switched to around June of 1987. She had previously swum for the Mission Viejo Nadadores under head coach Mark Schubert, but moved to the Novaquatics to improve her times. While swimming at the meet to qualify for the Olympic Trials in 1986, Deborah qualified in the 400 and 800 freestyle when she was a High School Senior. At the trials in Austin in August 1988, she did not qualify for the final heat to make the U.S. Olympic Team.[9]

Training schedule

In 1988, her demanding workout schedule consisted of weight training three days a week, five hours of training on Saturdays, and two workouts every weekday, with one before and one after school. In that year, she had been voted Most Valuable Swimmer in the Sunset League three years in a row, and won Fountain Valley High School's Athletic Coronet Award, the school's highest recognition for service or achievement.[10]

Her older sister Shirley (b. 1957) and older brothers Jack, Jr., (b. 1955) and Bill (b. 1959) were also swimmers who competed internationally.[5][11]

References
  1. Povtak, Tim, "Debbie Babashoff Swims in Wake of Older Sister", The Orlando Sentinal, Orlando, Florida, pg. 226, 25 June 1986
  2. "Scoreboard, Swimming, Women, 1500 Freestyle, 400 Freestyle Relay", Times-Advocate, Escondido, California, pg. 21, 24 June 1985
  3. Jean-Louis Meuret (2007), HistoFINA Volume IV – Tome IV. MEDALLISTS AND STATISTICS. Special FINA WORLD SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS (50 m.) Before Rome 2009.
  4. "Swimming, U.S. Trial, Women's 400 freestyle", The Akron Beacon Journal, Akron, Ohio, pg. 26, 25 June 1986
  5. Paula Edelson (1 January 2002). A to Z of American Women in Sports. Infobase Publishing. pp. 13–. ISBN 978-1-4381-0789-9. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
  6. "Swimming, Indoor U.S. Championships", Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort-Worth Texas, pg. 55, 27 March 1988
  7. Babashoff, Shirley. Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives, Thematic Series: Sports Figures (January 1, 2002).
  8. "Fountain Valley High School, "A" Students", Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, California, pg. 196, 1 June 1986
  9. Foster, Chris, "She's Making a Name for Herself These Days", The Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, California, pg. 164, 16 June 1988
  10. Hardeman, Kristin, "In the Family Swim", The Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, California, pg. 209, 23 April 1988
  11. Kristin Hardeman (April 23, 1988). HIGH LIFE : In the Family Swim : Babashoff Hopes to Follow Siblings to Olympic Stardom. Los Angeles Times


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