George Gleason

{{For|the politician|George Gleason (politician)}} {{Infobox swimmer | name = George Gleason | image =  | image_size =  | caption = | fullname = George Gleason | nicknames = | national_team = {{flag|ISV|name=Virgin Islands}} | strokes = Freestyle, backstroke | club = St. Croix Dolphins | coach = Frank Keefe (U.S.) | collegeteam = Yale University (U.S.) | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1979|8|8|df=y}} | birth_place = Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands | death_date = | death_place = | height = {{convert|1.98|m|ftin|0|abbr=on}} | weight = {{convert|100|kg|lb|0|abbr=on}} | medaltemplates = }}

'''George Gleason''' (born August 8, 1979) is a former swimmer from the U.S. Virgin Islands, who specialized in freestyle and backstroke events.<ref>{{cite web |title= George Gleason |date= 23 April 2013 |url= https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/gl/george-gleason-1.html |access-date= 2013-04-24 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130205212059/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/gl/george-gleason-1.html |archive-date= 5 February 2013 }}</ref> He is a two-time Olympian (2000 and 2004), a swimming captain for the Yale Bulldogs, and a graduate of sociology (2001) at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.<ref>{{cite news|title=Athlete of the Week: George Gleason|url=http://www.yaleherald.com/archive/xxix/2000.01.28/sports/p30gleason.html|publisher=The Yale Herald|date=28 January 2000|access-date=23 April 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304033123/http://www.yaleherald.com/archive/xxix/2000.01.28/sports/p30gleason.html|archive-date=4 March 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> Gleason also capped his swimming career by an eleventh-place finish in the 200 m backstroke at the NCAA Swimming Championships in College Station, Texas, earning him All-American honors.<ref>{{cite news|last=Vaccaro|first=Ron|title=Gleason takes 11th at NCAA championships|url=http://yaledailynews.com/blog/2001/03/28/gleason-takes-11th-at-ncaa-championships/|publisher=Yale Daily News|date=28 March 2001|access-date=23 April 2013}}</ref>

==Career== Gleason made his official debut, as U.S. Virgin Islands' only swimmer, at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. He failed to advance into the semifinals in any of his individual events, placing thirty-ninth in the 200 m freestyle (1:54.64) and forty-second each in the 100 m freestyle (52.00) and 200 m individual medley (2:08.25).<ref>{{cite web|title=Sydney 2000: Swimming – Men's 100m Freestyle Heat 5 |url=http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/2000/Masters/sw/SWresults.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110819181023/http://la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/2000/Masters/sw/SWresults.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=19 August 2011 |work=Sydney 2000 |publisher=LA84 Foundation |page=114 |access-date=19 April 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Sydney 2000: Swimming – Men's 200m Freestyle Heat 2 |url=http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/2000/Masters/sw/SWresults.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110819181023/http://la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/2000/Masters/sw/SWresults.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=19 August 2011 |work=Sydney 2000 |publisher=LA84 Foundation |page=124 |access-date=23 April 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Sydney 2000: Swimming – Men's 200m Individual Medley Heat 1 |url=http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/2000/Masters/sw/SWresults.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110819181023/http://la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/2000/Masters/sw/SWresults.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=19 August 2011 |work=Sydney 2000 |publisher=LA84 Foundation |page=307 |access-date=23 April 2013 }}</ref>

At the 2002 FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m) in Moscow, Gleason tackled an extended program of five swimming events, highlighted by a 16th-place finish in the 200 metre freestyle (1:47.69) where he challenged 8 other swimmers in heat 7, including Olympic medalist George Bovell of Trinidad and Tobago, who out-touched Gleason by 0.03 seconds. Gleason also competed in the 200 metre backstroke (19th overall, 1:58.18), 100 metre individual medley (21st overall, 56.24), 200 metre individual medley (28th overall, 2:02.29), and 50 metre freestyle (37th overall, 23.19).<ref>{{cite web|title=2002 Short Course Worlds Overall Results |url=http://www.omegatiming.com/Competition?id=0001020C00FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF&sport=AQ&year=2002 | publisher=Omega Timing|access-date=12 July 2013}}</ref>

In the summer of 2003, Gleason competed in the Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, where he raced to FINA Olympic B-standard entry times of 51.64 (100 m freestyle) and 57.13 (100 m backstroke). His eighth-place effort in the 100 m backstroke marked his highest result at a major international competition. Gleason also helped the freestyle relay teams (both 100 and 200 m) for the Virgin Islands to sixth-place finishes.<ref>{{cite web |title=2003 Pan American Games Swimming Results |url=http://www.usaswimming.org/ViewMiscArticle.aspx?TabId=928&Alias=rainbow&Lang=en&mid=2689&ItemId=2145 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150610213403/http://www.usaswimming.org/ViewMiscArticle.aspx?TabId=928&Alias=rainbow&Lang=en&mid=2689&ItemId=2145 |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 10, 2015 |publisher=USA Swimming |access-date=12 July 2013 }}</ref>

At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Gleason shortened his program by qualifying for two swimming events. He achieved FINA B-standard entry times of 51.64 (100 m freestyle) and 57.13 (100 m backstroke) from the Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.<ref>{{cite web|title=Swimming – Men's 100m Freestyle Startlist (Heat 4)|url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=000104060026000000FFFFFFFFFFFF00|format=PDF|work=Athens 2004|publisher=Omega Timing|access-date=23 April 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Swimming – Men's 100m Backstroke Startlist (Heat 2)|url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=00010406000F000000FFFFFFFFFFFF00|format=PDF|work=Athens 2004|publisher=Omega Timing|access-date=23 April 2013}}</ref>

In the 100 m backstroke, Gleason challenged seven other swimmers in heat two, including Olympic veteran Nicholas Neckles of Barbados. He raced to fifth place and thirty-seventh overall by 0.07 of a second behind Finland's Matti Mäki, outside his entry time of 57.64.<ref>{{cite web|title=Men's 100m Backstroke Heat 2|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics_2004/swimming/results/3535102.stm|work=Athens 2004|publisher=BBC Sport|date=15 August 2004|access-date=31 January 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Thomas |first=Stephen |title=Men's 100 Backstroke Prelims: Japan's Morita Surprises with Fastest Time; Americans Cruise Through |url=http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/7810.asp |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130630092302/http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/7810.asp |url-status=dead |archive-date=30 June 2013 |publisher=Swimming World Magazine |date=15 August 2004 |access-date=23 April 2013 }}</ref> In his second event, 100 m freestyle, Gleason placed forty-fourth overall out of 71 swimmers from the morning's preliminaries. He raced to sixth place in heat four at 51.69, just 0.05 of a second off his entry time from the Pan American Games.<ref>{{cite web|title=Men's 100m Freestyle Heat 4|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/olympics_2004/swimming/results/3535064.stm|work=Athens 2004|publisher=BBC Sport|date=18 August 2004|access-date=31 January 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Thomas |first=Stephen |title=Men's 100 Freestyle Prelims Day 4: Lezak, Crocker Fail to Qualify. Hoogie Best with 48.70 |url=http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/7852.asp |publisher=Swimming World Magazine |date=18 August 2004 |access-date=19 April 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070403104714/http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/7852.asp |archive-date=April 3, 2007 }}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist|30em}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gleason, George}} Category:1979 births Category:Living people Category:United States Virgin Islands male swimmers Category:Olympic swimmers for the United States Virgin Islands Category:Swimmers at the 1999 Pan American Games Category:Swimmers at the 2000 Summer Olympics Category:Swimmers at the 2003 Pan American Games Category:Swimmers at the 2004 Summer Olympics Category:Pan American Games competitors for the United States Virgin Islands Category:United States Virgin Islands male freestyle swimmers Category:Male backstroke swimmers Category:Sportspeople from Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands Category:Yale Bulldogs men's swimmers Category:21st-century American sportsmen Category:20th-century American sportsmen

George Gleason

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