Who was the first African American swimmer to win a gold?

Question

Who was the first African American swimmer to win a gold?

Answer 1

Anthony Ervin was the first, in 2000.



Anthony Lee Ervin (born May 26, 1981 in Burbank, California). In 2000, he became the first swimmer of African American descent to make the US Olympic team. At the 2000 Summer Olympics, he participated as an American swimmer who won the gold medal in the Men’s 50m Freestyle, finishing with the same winning time as Gary Hall Jr. He also won a silver medal on the Men’s 4x100 m freestyle relay team behind Australia at the Olympics in Sydney, Australia.

As an undergraduate college student, Ervin swam for the University of California, Berkeley, where he won multiple individual and relay events at the year-end NCAA Championships. Prior to Berkeley, Ervin swam for Canyons Aquatic Club, and William S. Hart High School in Santa Clarita, California.

In May 2005, Ervin sold his gold medal on Ebay for $17,100, donating the money to UNICEF for tsunami relief.

Ervin is of African American and Native American descent on his father's side, and Jewish American on his mother's.