Three-Time Olympic Champion Natalie Coughlin Announces Pregnancy

This afternoon on Instagram, Natalie Coughlin announced that she is expecting her first child with husband Ethan Hall. The former Cal Bear student-athlete, and renowned backstroker on the world stage, included a shot of the sonogram in a post to her 178,000 followers on the app. Coughlin was the first woman in history to break 1:00 in the 100 meter backstroke, as well as the first American woman in modern history to win six medals at one Olympiad (2008).

Coughlin recently started her own wine label, Gaderian Wines, with her friend Shaina Harding, hence the first photo in her two-image Instagram post featuring an upcoming Pinot Noir release. She ever-so-subtly slipped in baby implications in her caption: “So proud of our @gaderianwines Pinot Noir, which we bottled last week. We’re not officially releasing it until the Fall, which is perfect because I can’t drink for the next few months. 🤰”

Coughlin married Hall, who swam at UCSB and is the head coach of the USA Swimming team the Crow Canyon Sharks, in 2009.

Recently, Coughlin has been one of four leaders of USA Swimming’s SwimSquads, a program in its inaugural year. Competing against teams led by Lenny KrayzelburgJason Lezak, and Kaitlin Sandeno, Coughlin has drafted some of the United States’ top swimmers to collect points based on their performances at 2018 TYR PSS meets. Currently, following the Indy PSS last month, CoughlinSquad sits in 2nd with 328 points, just behind KrayzelburgSquad (358).

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NickB
6 years ago

Congrats!

Right Dude Here
6 years ago

Congratulations Natalie!!!

sven
6 years ago

Phelps (x2), Lochte, Grevers, Vollmer (x2), and now Coughlin, all with kids around the same age?

Sounds like in about 10-12 years we as SwimSwam commenters could potentially have a big group of kids on which to place our absurd expectations. Mark your calendars, everybody! If these kids grow up as swimmers, putting pressure on them due to their parents’ success is a great responsibility and we are obligated to be prepared.

USA
Reply to  sven
6 years ago

I bet Mel is already making predictions xD

Swack
Reply to  sven
6 years ago

It’ll be interesting to see how this turns out… people say the same thing about every great athlete, but in many cases it doesn’t work out… just look at MJ’s kid.

Cate
Reply to  Swack
6 years ago

Unfortunately neither of his sons got his height. They got a lot of press in college that put a lot of pressure on them. I think both of them ended up quitting.

Cate
Reply to  sven
6 years ago

Kids following in their athletic parents footsteps is unusual. I can’t think of too many off the top of my head; Gary Hall Jr., Peyton and Eli Manning, Laila Ali, Steph Curry, Joakim Noah. Probably more, but would have to google it. Seems to be more common in team sports than individual sports.

Swammer
6 years ago

Congrats to one the swimming world’s GOATs!!

KEO
6 years ago

Actually her husband went to UCSB 👍🏻

snarky
6 years ago

Relay with Boomer and Lochte’s kid?

Hswimmer
Reply to  snarky
6 years ago

If it’s a boy that would be something else!

Maelstrom
Reply to  snarky
6 years ago

and Beckett Phelps

sven
Reply to  Maelstrom
6 years ago

Nah, gotta have Grevers’ kid for the leadoff.

Mr G.
Reply to  sven
6 years ago

And Dana Volmer’s son Arlen?

Anon
Reply to  sven
6 years ago

A male version of Coughlin could take Grevers any day.

Hswimmer
Reply to  Anon
6 years ago

Don’t forget about Vollmers 2 boys also!

Snarky
Reply to  Maelstrom
6 years ago

I think Grevers and Annie have a kid too. Back or breast?

K.A.
Reply to  snarky
6 years ago

…and Baby Grevers!

dj albertson
6 years ago

She’s awesome!

Caeleb Dressel Will Win 9 Gold Medals in Tokyo
6 years ago

Good for her and Ethan!

About Karl Ortegon

Karl Ortegon

Karl Ortegon studied sociology at Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT, graduating in May of 2018. He began swimming on a club team in first grade and swam four years for Wesleyan.

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