Garrett Weber-Gale

Weber-Gale is Jewish,^[1] and was born in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. He graduated from Nicolet High School in Glendale, Wisconsin, in 2003.^[2] He then competed for the Texas Longhorns swimming and diving team of the University of Texas from 2003 to 2007. In 2006, he was the NCAA Division I champion in the 100-yard freestyle.^[3]

Weber-Gale won the 100 and 50-meter freestyles at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials in 47.92 and 21.47 seconds respectively. His time of 21.47 in the 50-meter was an American record.^[4] By clocking a time of 47.78 in the prelims of the 100 freestyle at the Trials, he became the first American to break 48 seconds in that event.^[5]

At the 2008 Summer Olympics, Weber-Gale was as a member of the 4 × 100 m freestyle relay team in a final that has been heralded as the best relay in the history of swimming.^[6] He was the second leg of that relay and had a split of 47.02 as the US won the gold ahead of pre-race favorite France.^[7] Weber-Gale also earned a gold medal for his contribution in the heats of the 4 × 100 m medley relay.^[8][9] Weber-Gale also competed in both the 50 m and 100 m freestyle events but did not advance past the semifinals of either one.^[10][11][12]

At the 2009 USA Nationals and World Championships trials, Weber-Gale placed third in the 100 m freestyle in 48.19. He also tied for second with Cullen Jones in the 50m freestyle in 21.55, which required a swim-off to decide who would get to compete in the event at the 2009 World Aquatics Championships in Rome. Jones won the swim-off in 21.41, which broke Weber-Gale's American record in the event.^[13]

At the 2009 World Championships, Weber-Gale swam the lead-off leg of the 4 × 100 m freestyle preliminaries in 48.30. He earned a gold medal in the event when the US placed first in the final.^[14]

In 2013, Weber-Gale was chosen to be the flag bearer for Team USA at the opening ceremonies of the 19th (2013) Maccabiah Games.^[15] At the games he won two gold medals; one in 100 m freestyle at 48.99 seconds and a second one in the 50 m freestyle at 0:22:12 (MR).^[16] Weber-Gale also won silver in the 4 × 200 m freestyle relay.^[17]

Weber-Gale began his competitive career as a YMCA age-group swimmer at the Walter Schroeder Aquatic Center in Brown Deer, Wisconsin. He refined his stroke training in Austin, Texas, swimming with Circle C (now Longhorn Aquatics). In 2003, he set a national public high school record while at Nicolet High School in the 100-yard (91 m) freestyle with a time of 43.49.^[18] He is a four-time Wisconsin State Champion, twice in the backstroke and once in the freestyle.^[19]

Weber-Gale also was a multiple-time Olin-Sang-Ruby Union Institute (a URJ summer camp) triathlon champion.

On November 17, 2008, Weber-Gale won a Golden Goggles award with Beijing relay teammates Michael Phelps, Cullen Jones and Jason Lezak.^[20]

On July 19, 2009, Weber-Gale (along with Phelps, Jones and Lezak) received an ESPY Award for Best Moment for their 4 × 100 m freestyle relay performance at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.^[21]

Weber-Gale married in Austin, Texas, in the fall of 2013.

Weber-Gale was elected to the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame's induction class of 2015.^[22]

• List of Olympic medalists in swimming (men)
• List of select Jewish swimmers
• List of University of Texas at Austin alumni
• List of World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming (men)
• World record progression 4 × 100 metres freestyle relay
• World record progression 4 × 100 metres medley relay

• Garrett Weber-Gale at World Aquatics
• Garrett Weber-Gale at Olympics.com
• Garrett Weber-Gale at Olympedia
• Garrett Weber-Gale at USA Swimming (archived June 2, 2021)
• Garrett Weber-Gale at Team USA (archive July 11, 2022)
• Garrett Weber-Gale's blog at SwimNetwork.com at the Wayback Machine (archived August 25, 2010)
• Official website at the Wayback Machine (archived June 12, 2008)