Jack Babashoff

Jack Babashoff Jr. (born July 13, 1955) is an American former competition swimmer and a 1976 Olympic silver medal winner in the 100 meter freestyle.

Babashoff was born one of four children of Vera (Slevkoff), a former teacher, and Jack Babashoff Sr., a machinist. Both of his parents were second-generation Spiritual Christians from Russia. His younger sisters Shirley and Debbie and brother Bill were also swimmers who competed at the international level. In his early years, Jack swam for a number of clubs including the Buena Park Splashers. Around 13, Jack joined a team with sister Shirley in El Monte coached by Don La Mont, then after moving to the area around 1971 swam at Golden West College in Huntington Beach for a team called Phillips 66. He later swam for Long Beach Swim Club under Hall of Fame Coach Dick Jochums through around 1971-1978, where he settled. After entering High School, Jack would swim for both his clubs and High School, at times requiring more than one practice per day.

Babashoff attended and swam first for Lynwood High School and later when the family moved to Fountain Valley, he attended and swam for Fountain Valley High School in Fountain Valley, California, where he graduated. Recognized as a top California swimmer, Babashoff's High School swim times by his Senior Year were exceptional with personal bests of 46.8 seconds in the 100-yard freestyle, and a 1:42 in the 200-yard freestyle.

College swimming He later swam for the University of Alabama where he was recruited and coached by Don Gambril a Swimming Hall of Fame inductee. Gambril also coached several American Olympic swimming teams, including Jack's 1976 team.

1975 Pan American Games medals In the Pan American Games at Mexico City in 1975, Babashoff competed in one of his most successful meets and won three medals. He won a gold medal in the 4x100 meter freestyle relay, and a gold medal in the 4x100 meter medley relay. Continuing to improve his time, he took an individual silver medal, in the 100 meter freestyle, his signature event, with a time of 52.26.

In the 1979 Pan American games in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Babashoff won another gold medal with the American team in the 4 x 100 Meter freestyle relay. With one of the most impressive displays by any woman in an Olympics, Jack's sister Shirley won five medals for the American women that Olympic year, with one gold, and previously had won every event in the Olympic trials.

Jack was an alternate for the record setting 4x100 meter Medley relay team, which won a gold medal as well at Montreal, but he did not swim in the final heat, nor did he medal.

1978 World Aquatics Gold Medal In August 1978, he won a gold medal in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay at the 1978 World Aquatics Championships in West Berlin. The relay time was another World Record and broke the prior World Record set by an American team, by 2.6 seconds.