Lydia Jacoby
Olympic gold and silver medalist swimmer
Lydia Jacoby is a 17-year-old Olympic gold and silver medalist swimmer from Seward, Alaska. Jacoby shook up the sports world on July 26, 2021 when she staged a thrilling finish to win gold in the women’s 100-meter breaststroke at the Tokyo Olympics. She later rounded out her Olympic meet in the 400-medley relay, splitting 1:05.03 to help Team USA finish 2nd, earning a silver medal to wrap up her Olympic debut. Jacoby started competing for the Seward Tsunami Swim Club at the age of six, where she achieved her first Alaska state title at the age of 12 and her first Olympic Trials cut at 14. At the 2019 Junior National Championships, Jacoby won the 100- meter breaststroke, marking her first Junior National title as well as qualifying her for the USA Junior National team. Making history as the first Olympic swimmer and to be born in Alaska as well as the first summer Olympian from Alaska to win two medals at a single Olympics, Lydia finished 2nd in the 2020 Olympic trials three seconds faster than her best time prior to the pandemic. Jacoby currently holds 19 Alaska LSC Records, all in breaststroke, and has committed to the University of Texas, where she will swim for the Longhorns and pursue a degree in Textiles and Apparel starting in the fall of 2022.
