Eugene Godsoe

Eugene Godsoe (born January 20, 1988) is an American former competition swimmer who competed for the exceptionally strong program at Stanford University under Coaches Skip Kenney and Ted Knapp and specialized in backstroke and butterfly events. At the 2013 World Aquatics Championships, Godsoe placed 2nd in the 50m butterfly. He won a total of eleven medals in international competition from 2010 to 2015, which included eight silver and three bronze.

Early life Godsoe was born January 20, 1988 in Greensboro, North Carolina to Yoko and Gene Godsoe. With a Japanese mother, he became fluent in Japanese. In High School, he swam with the Greensboro Swimming Association where he was coached by Kevin Thornton. Guilford swam for Southeast Guilford High School, where as a Senior in 2006, he broke both his records in the 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke for the fourth successive year at the North Carolina 3A State Swimming Championships. He swam the 100 butterfly in 48.78, and the 100 butterfly in 48.49, and was named the meet's Most Valuable Performer. In each of his four High School years, he was an All-American ranking first nationally in the 100-yard backstroke and fourth in the 100-yard butterfly.

Stanford University He competed collegiately at Stanford University from 2008 to 2010, where he won an NCAA championship in the 100 yard backstroke and trained under Head Coach Skip Kenney, an International Swimming Hall of Fame inductee and Assistant Coach Ted Knapp. He graduated Stanford in 2010 with a Bachelor's in political science and concentrations in economics and international relations. Godsoe won medals at the NCAA championships each years from 2008 to 2009, including one gold in the 100-yard backstroke in 2010. He returned to North Carolina after college to train at SwimMAC under head coach David Marsh.