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Cullen Jones made history today as one of four men on the USA's winning 4X100 freestyle relay team. They took the gold with a world record time of 3 minutes, 8.24 seconds in an edge-of-your-seat race that keeps swimmer Michael Phelps on track to bring eight medals home.
Cullen Jones might be considered a bit of an unexpected swimming superstar. You see during one of his first experiences in water, he almost drowned. But that was a long time ago.
Now as only the third American black person to qualify for the Olympics in swimming, Cullen Jones has also positioned himself as an advocate and ambassador of swimming for reluctant black children.
Latest Olympics Photos
Brazil's soccer player Diego (R) fights for the ball with Vietnam's Vu Nhu Thanh during their friendly match at the My Dinh stadium in Hanoi August 1, 2008, in preparation for the upcoming Olympic Games in Beijing. REUTERS/Kham (VIETNAM) (BEIJING OLYMPICS 2008 PREVIEW)
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Brazil's soccer player Pato (C) celebrates with his teammates Ronaldinho (L), Diego (R) and Anderson (top) after scoring against Vietnam during their friendly match at the My Dinh stadium in Hanoi August 1, 2008, in preparation for the upcoming Olympic Games in Beijing. REUTERS/Kham (VIETNAM) (BEIJING OLYMPICS 2008 PREVIEW)
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Brazil's soccer player Ronaldinho (L) fights for the ball with Vietnam's Huynh Quang Thanh (C) and Nguyen Minh Phuong (R) during their friendly match at the My Dinh stadium in Hanoi August 1, 2008, in preparation for the upcoming Olympic Games in Beijing. REUTERS/Kham (VIETNAM) (BEIJING OLYMPICS 2008 PREVIEW)
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Brazil's soccer player Ronaldinho (L) controls the ball as Vietnam's Huynh Quang Thanh watches during their friendly match at the My Dinh stadium in Hanoi August 1, 2008, in preparation for the upcoming Olympic Games in Beijing. REUTERS/Kham (VIETNAM) (BEIJING OLYMPICS 2008 PREVIEW)
Reuters
Italian fencer Andrea Baldini during a press conference in Milan, Italy, Friday, Aug. 1, 2008. Baldini will miss the Beijing Olympics after testing positive for a diuretic during last month's European Championships in Ukraine. Baldini won a silver medal in foil at the 2006 and 2007 world championships and was considered a gold-medal candidate for Beijing. In the press conference Baldini said he "did not take anything". (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
AP
Italian fencer Andrea Baldini reacts during a press conference in Milan, Italy, Friday, Aug. 1, 2008. Baldini will miss the Beijing Olympics after testing positive for a diuretic during last month's European Championships in Ukraine. Baldini won a silver medal in foil at the 2006 and 2007 world championships and was considered a gold-medal candidate for Beijing. In the press coference Baldini said he "did not take anything". (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
AP
Italian fencer Andrea Baldini arrives for a press conference in Milan, Italy, Friday, Aug. 1, 2008. Baldini will miss the Beijing Olympics after testing positive for a diuretic during last month's European Championships in Ukraine. Baldini won a silver medal in foil at the 2006 and 2007 world championships and was considered a gold-medal candidate for Beijing. In the press coference Baldini said he "did not take anything". (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
AP
Italian fencer Andrea Baldini during a press conference in Milan, Italy, Friday, Aug. 1, 2008. Baldini will miss the Beijing Olympics after testing positive for a diuretic during last month's European Championships in Ukraine. Baldini won a silver medal in foil at the 2006 and 2007 world championships and was considered a gold-medal candidate for Beijing. In the press coference Baldini said he "did not take anything". (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
AP
A night view of the National Stadium, also known as the "Bird's Nest", is seen during a water columns show in Beijing August 1, 2008. REUTERS/Daniel Aguilar (CHINA) (BEIJING 2008 OLYMPICS)
Reuters
A total solar eclipse is seen in Jiuquan, in China's western Gansu province Friday Aug 1, 2008. Millions of Chinese along the ancient Silk Road gathered Friday to gaze at a total solar eclipse, an event traditionally fraught with superstitious meaning coming one week before the start of the Beijing Olympics. (AP Photo) ** CHINA OUT **
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Jones appeared on ABC's Good Morning America recently and shared these thoughts:
"You've gotten a whole culture to believe that swimming isn't something that they do or they're not, I guess, physically capable of doing," Jones said. "We have changed that stereotype."And passing that torch has life and death implications for many children who have little access to swim instruction:
Jones has funneled his love for the sport, and helping minorities learn how to swim, into the USA Swimming Foundation's Make A Splash Program . There, he is able to turn his words to actions.
"It's just a torch that was passed on to me by many other black swimmers that have been before me -- Maritza Correia, Byron Davis. It's something that we've all tried to push and try and get more and more kids. It's definitely not a burden; it's just a cause of mine," the 6-foot-5-inch Jones said.
A 2007 study commissioned by USA Swimming and the University of Memphis found that 60 percent of African-American children don't know how to swim. And the Centers for Disease Control said African-American kids are three times more likely to drown than their Caucasian counterparts.Jones Gold Medal win is not the first for an American black man. That feat was accomplished by Anthony Ervin who became the first American black man to win a Gold Medal in the 50 meter freestyle in a tie with Gary Hall Jr. in 2000.
CAN YOU SWIM? DO YOUR KIDS KNOW HOW TO SWIM?
Comments: (16)
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By: lenard .t on 8/12/2008 12:14PM
you go boy" i am glad to see you in the winners circle. con gradulations" you keep up the great stride. peace power and all good things for you.
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By: Danica on 8/13/2008 1:24AM
At last we have an African American (Black) champion in swimming-a sport that Blacks have simply not had an opportunity, until recently, to enjoy & master as a wonderful (and cheap...no equipment) a sport as swimming. It is relaxing, gentle on the body, and opens up your life to so many other activities-sailing, diving/snorkeling, canoeing, kayaking, or just being comfortable around water....deep water. If you do not want to be an outdoors person, at least learn how to swim so you [and get your kids (could save their lives) to swimming class at the YMCA...that is where I learned my swimming badges...all the way to shark!].
BLACK PEOPLE CAN AND DO SWIM ALL OVER THE WORLD...IN THE OCEAN NO LESS.....I come from the Caribean/Latin America and Blacks folks there swim damn well. There is an island off the coast of Panama in Central America that is 99% Black (descendants of African slaves brought to the New World by the Spanish). There is a Black woman there who was the masters swimming champion (age 60 & up I believe) in Latin America about ten years ago. She was the only woman in that age group competing the in sport in Latin America so she also swam with men that age and up....She beat them! She swims in the ocean every day. Children as young as seven swim in the ocean off the island. There is no record of a child ever drowning who lived on the island (Isla Grande.
So....forget what you hear, what you have been told, and what you think. Go on...get in...the water is just fine.
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By: ERVON NEELY on 8/13/2008 10:03PM
I BET IF U PUT A LARGE ENOUGH DOLLAR SIGN IN FRONT OF THE SWIMMING GAME, YOU WOULD SEE A WHOLE LOT OF BLACK FOLKS GETTING IN THE WATER.
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By: Theresa Empson on 8/14/2008 1:58PM
I learned how to swim at an early age when my parents signed me along with my other sisters and nieces up at the YWCA of Germantown. Since then I have been swimming competitively starting at the age of eight and continuing through to high school. I loved it! I had the opportunity to travel to different swim clubs where we would be the only black team competing. Others took note I was such a good swimmer. At the age of ten I swam for a team called the Polar Bears. We practiced two times a day at 6am and again at 5pm. In my day there was enough time in the day for swimming. This was the majority of my life shared with basketball. I am an excellent swimmer of all four strokes. I was awarded many trophies and medals, along with my sisters and nieces. I introduced my two children to swimming at an early age, by personally teaching them how to swim and eventually joining the same swim team. At the age of 43 I am introducing more African American children and well as adults to swimming.
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By: Theresa Empson on 8/14/2008 2:55PM
I am so proud to see an African American swimmer competing in the Olympics. Cullen Jones is just the second. I feel that there will be more African Americans in the future. Most definitely an African American woman. I always dreamed of swimming in the Olympics someday, but pursued basketball instead. Now at the age of 43 years old, I teach and introduce swimmining to the younger generation so hopefully they my someday fulfill my dream.
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By: Delilah on 8/15/2008 12:07AM
I was never so shocked and proud to see that a black man was part of the team. I missed most of the race but when I saw Cullen standing there with the rest of them I was so proud. I did see you when they were taking the photo of all of you holding up your gold medal but what I didn't understand was I didn't see you anymore, where did you go? I love the way you talked showing the Chineese and people of other countries that we don't all mumble and sound like we're a bunch of ignorant drug induced sexual violent blithering idots and then on top of that you're a good looking young man. God b;ess you and keep up the good work.
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