Elaine Breeden

Elaine Breeden Penrose (born November 18, 1988), née Elaine Breeden, is a former American competition swimmer for Stanford University and a 2008 Olympic silver medalist.

Born November 18, 1988 in Lexington, Kentucky, Breeden broke her first age-group record at 8, and soon held a number No. 1 national rank in the 50-meter butterfly in the 10-and-under, and 12-and-under age groups. By the age of 11, she was coached by John Brucato who soon recognized her potential.

In 2006, she was the youngest member of the U.S. Swimming Women's team at the Short Course World Championships in Shanghai, China. The team was coached by Louisvillian Mike DeBoor, of Lakeside Swimming Club, and featured another Kentucky swimmer, Rachel Komisarz, a silver and bronze medalist at the meet.

2008 Beijing Olympics Swimming as a High School Senior at the 2008 U.S. Swimming Trials at the Qwest Center in Omaha, Nebraska, she unexpectedly qualified for the Women's Olympic team by placing second in the 100-meter butterfly with a time of :58.21, upsetting event favorite, University of Kentucky graduate Rachel Komisarz who took third. Breeden touched the wall only a tenth of a second behind first place Christine Magnuson. Breeden also qualified to compete in the 200-meter butterfly event by placing first at the trials.

At the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China, she advanced to the semifinals of the women's 100-meter butterfly, and finished seventh in the final of the women's 200-meter butterfly. She earned a silver medal by swimming for the second-place U.S. team in the preliminary heats of the women's 4×100-meter medley relay.

Stanford University Breeden attended Stanford University, under the direction of Stanford coaches, Lea and Erik Maurer from 2007 to 2010.

In 2009, Breeden broke the American, U.S. Open, and NCAA records in the 200-yard fly with a time of 1:49.92. Her time was the first under 1:50 and stood as the American record for nearly a decade.

After her attempt to make the Olympic team in 2012, she retired from competitive swimming.