Nelson Diebel

Nelson W. Diebel (born November 9, 1970) is an American former competition swimmer, Olympic champion, and former world record-holder.

Nelson Diebel III was born on November 9, 1970 in Hinsdale, Illinois, to Nelson W. Diebel Jr., a History professor at nearby Moraine Valley Community College, and Marge Diebel, a stockbroker. Nelson grew up in Western Springs, a suburb of Chicago. Several accounts link Nelson's youthful rebellious behavior to his parents' divorce around 1982 when he was 12. Nelson attended McClure Junior High, already showing a certain rebellious nature. He began high school at Lyons Township High School in Western Springs, where Nelson noted he may have been in a few fights. After a case of pneumonia led him to miss 11 weeks of his Freshman year at Lyons Township, his mother Marge arranged for him to attend the Kent School, a private boarding school in Kent, Connecticut. Six weeks later he was expelled for fighting. Some of his high school years included poor grades, late nights, issues with drinking and marijuana, and a few car accidents.

Peddie School Diebel's mother, who hoped for the best but was well aware of Nelson's behavioral issues, arranged for him to attend the Peddie School in Hightstown, New Jersey beginning in December, 1986, where the 16-year old would swim under talented first year Head Coach Chris Martin. Martin told Diebel he could use him on the swim team but he would have to do exactly what he was told, and if he was looking to fight, he could fight the rather large, strong, and imposing 6 foot 4 inch, 225 pound, Martin. Martin coached the Peddie School from 1986-1992, and in a few years succeeded in restoring the school's place as a national leader in swimming among private schools. He would coach at the University of Florida in 1992. Diebel and Martin eventually reached an understanding.

Only six months after arriving at Peddie, Diebel won a national championship, and a year later made it to the finals of the 1988 Olympic trials in the 100 and 200 breaststroke. He performed well, but did not make the U.S. team. Six weeks after the trials, he slipped while diving from the Peddie stands into the pool, and landed on a balcony, breaking both wrists. He required hours of surgery, and several pins, but managed to recover.

In pre-Olympic international competition, Diebel won silver medals in the 200 breaststroke at the 1989 Pan Pacifics and the 1991 Pan American Games.

Diebel won two gold medals at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. First, he won the men's 100-meter breaststroke, setting a new Olympic record of 1:01.50 in the event final. It was made more memorable as it was the first American gold medal of the Barcelona games. Only third after the first 50-meters, Diebel took the lead in the final 50 with Hungary's Norbert Rozsa, who held the world record, taking second. After his Freshman year at Princeton, and his Olympic medals, Diebel retired from swimming, to focus on the outstanding academics at Princeton. He had chosen Princeton for the quality of their academic program, and because Coach Orr allowed him the flexibility of training for the more competitive meets required of an elite Olympic candidate. Diebel would major in History at Princeton.

After Princeton, he worked as a featured coach and speaker at varied training clinics, and then as a motivational speaker. He later settled in Delaware, and worked in the income tax preparation business. He recently started coaching, and noted that he truly enjoyed mentoring young swimmers as a coach.