VIDEO: Comeback Rio Moment – Anthony Ervin

USA Swimming’s latest video profile centers on Anthony Ervin, who became the oldest ever individual Olympic gold medalist in swimming at the age of 35. You can check out the video above, courtesy of USA Swimming on YouTube.

Below is our coverage of Ervin’s Olympic win from back in August:

Anthony Ervin became the oldest Olympic swimmer to earn an individual gold medal tonight with his improbable victory in the 50 free.  Ervin, 35 years and 78 days old, takes over title from the most decorated Olympian ever, Michael Phelps, who earned that distinction with a victory in the 200 fly Tuesday night.  Phelps then extended that record by a few days with his gold in the 200 IM last night, giving him a gold at 31 years and 42 days old.

Tonight’s gold medalist has one of the most intriguing storylines in swimming history.  He was only 19 years old when he tied Gary Hall Jr. for gold in the same event in 2000, making Ervin the youngest Olympic champion in the 50 free.  After a couple more years of swimming, he dropped out of the sport, and essentially disappeared, only to reappear and renter the world of competitive swimming on the road to the London Olympics.  He qualified for the 2012 USA team in the 50 free, beating out, among others, Nathan Adrian, who joined him as a medalist tonight.  Ervin then placed 5th in this event London.

The man who won gold in London, Florent Manadou of France, looked likely to repeat heading into tonight.  But Ervin nailed his start, something had long been a visible weakness, and churned the water the rest of the length of the pool, touching out Manadou 21.40 to 21.41.  After yesterday’s semifinal, Ervin had said that he felt like he could go a little faster, and he surely did, as tonight’s swim represented a personal best for him, showing that even at what’s considered an “old age” in swimming, he is still improving.

Ervin has given no indication that he intends to retire, and he’s only 0.04 seconds off of the American Record, held by teammate Adrian, potentially giving Ervin yet another goal to work towards.  In fact, Ervin indicated later on in the evening that he would like to swim at the 2020 Olympics, when he’ll be 39 years old.

Ervin on what the medal means to him 16 years after he won his first gold:

“This medal means to me, the recognition, the immense gratitude for all the people that have supported me through the highs and the lows, always there for me, let me lean on them and I hope they can always lean on me if they need it. Most of them are beyond needing to lean on the likes on me.”

On winning the race:

“There were no guarantees but I was feeling good coming into the meet. I felt really good in the prelims, then I changed things for the semis, felt even better then I had a game plan for finals. If anything, I was a little bit slower than I thought I was going to be. But it’s a tough race, it’s the 50m final in the Olympics.”

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luigi
7 years ago

The most naturally talented sprinter since 2000. If he has a clean start, he can beat, and has beaten, anyone. Popov, Schoeman, Manaudou, Adrian, Van Den Hoogenband … His book is so different from the boring standard of athletes’ biographies. Definitely my favorite swimmer.

Captain Ahab
7 years ago

AE never broke 19 seconds in the 50 yard freestyle, what does that tell you? You do not need to go 18 seconds in the 50 yard free to win Olympic gold, you do not need to go .40 seconds in the 100 yard freestyle to win Olympic gold, and you do not need the best start in the world to win gold in the sprint events.

Steve Nolan
Reply to  Captain Ahab
7 years ago

Well, he probably could do all those things these days. (I’m assuming he hasn’t swam a yards meet tapered in a while.)

Sportinindc
7 years ago

My favorite moment of the Rio Olympics. More please.

Hagai
7 years ago

Unbelievable story.
Love it.
Stay tuned for more soon…

Prickle
7 years ago

Anthony Ervin’s performance and gold-medal-age record deserves much more media attention. Do you remember how many talks were about Phelps becoming the oldest swimmer winning Olympic gold medal? If you don’t remember than I tell you: A LOT. Much more than was told about Anthony. If you want to comprehend how it is incomparable than think that: should have Phelps win gold medal in Tokyo Olympics in four years in a distant 2020 ( that he will never do) he still won’t break Ervin’s record.
But the most amazing thing about that race was that despite not many people bet for his win I think practically nobody got shocked and many many cheered his victory. There is definitely something… Read more »

Attila the Hunt
Reply to  Prickle
7 years ago

Let me tell you a little secret:

Winning gold in 200 fly (and 200 IM later) at an older age is harder than in 50 free.

Attila the Hunt
Reply to  Prickle
7 years ago

Just to add to avoid misunderstanding, Earvin’s win is much beloved because he quit at a very young age – for a sprinter. And he had quite a journey. And people love successful comeback and redemption. And he has great personality. People were also not as much shocked with Earvin’s win because:
1. Anything can happen in 50 free race
2. Everybody knows how crazy talented Earvin is in sprinting
3. Earvin had been breaking PB after PB since early 2015.

Attila the Hunt
Reply to  Prickle
7 years ago

Let me also remind you that Dara Torres, another former young teenage sprinter phenom in early 80s, was 0.01 second off Gold in 2008 Beijing at a much older age, 41 yo.

None of this absolutely diminish Earvin’s amazing feat at Rio, but you were misguided when you made grievances about attention given to Phelps.

Prickle
Reply to  Attila the Hunt
7 years ago

What can I tell you, ATTILA THE HUNT, we have different feeling of what greatness is. It’s ok, I don’t argue. Just want to share my impressions with others who feel the same. There were several outstanding achievements this year that’ve changed our understanding of possible: Cate Campbell, Adam Peaty, Sarah Sjostrom, Katie Ledecky. Anthony Ervin’s record belongs to the same category. I believe that records of swimmers mentioned above will stay for very long time. The longevity of the record can be used among other factors that define greatness.

Brian M
7 years ago

As soon as I saw his start, I knew that he was going to win.

bobo gigi
Reply to  Brian M
7 years ago

Clearly. That was the key against Manaudou.

Steve Nolan
Reply to  Brian M
7 years ago

YUP.

I’m pretty sure I screamed it.

CanadianShark
7 years ago

Read this man’s autobiography over the holidays, “Chasing the Water”. Best swimming literature I’ve ever read and it’s definitely designed for the hardcore swim fan in mind, which is rare in a world where our sport tries to dumb down everything for the mainstream crowd.

That said, after reading it I’m incredibly blown away at Ervin’s journey over the years. If there’s ever been a perfect storyline for a swimming movie, it’s his. He deserved this gold in Rio.

Bigly
7 years ago

“Immense gratitude.” Best line ever.

About Jared Anderson

Jared Anderson

Jared Anderson swam for nearly twenty years. Then, Jared Anderson stopped swimming and started writing about swimming. He's not sick of swimming yet. Swimming might be sick of him, though. Jared was a YMCA and high school swimmer in northern Minnesota, and spent his college years swimming breaststroke and occasionally pretending …

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