# Tara Cunningham

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**Tara Nott-Cunningham** (born **Tara Nott**; May 10, 1972) is an American former [Olympic weightlifter](/source/Olympic_weightlifting) who competed for the [United States](/source/United_States) in both the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games. She is the only athlete to have trained for three different sports at the [United States Olympic Training Center](/source/United_States_Olympic_Training_Center) ([gymnastics](/source/Gymnastics), [soccer](/source/Soccer), and [weightlifting](/source/Olympic_weightlifting)).

Born in [Del Rio, Texas](/source/Del_Rio,_Texas), Tara Nott grew up in [Stilwell, Kansas](/source/Stilwell,_Kansas).[1] Her coaches were Mike Gattone and Bob Morris. She attended Blue Valley Middle and High Schools in Stilwell, KS and Colorado College in Colorado Springs, CO. She is married to free style wrestler Casey Cunningham.

In [2000](/source/2000_Summer_Olympics), she became the first US weightlifter to win Olympic gold since [Chuck Vinci](/source/Chuck_Vinci) in 1960, and the first US female weightlifter ever to win Olympic gold. The original gold medal winner, Bulgaria's [Izabela Dragneva](/source/Izabela_Dragneva), was stripped of her gold after testing positive for furosemide, and the gold was awarded to Nott who initially placed second.[2]

At the [2004 Summer Olympics](/source/2004_Summer_Olympics), she ranked 10th in the 48 kg category.[3][4]

She was inducted into the International Weightlifting Hall of Fame in 2015.[5]

## Weightlifting achievements

- Senior National Champion (1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002–2004)
- World Championships Team Member (1997–1999, 2003, 2004)
- [Pan Am Games](/source/Pan_Am_Games) Champion (1999, 2003)
- Olympic Champion (2000)
- Olympic Games team member (2004)
- Multiple All-Time Senior American record holder in [snatch](/source/Snatch_(weightlifting)), [clean and jerk](/source/Clean_and_jerk), and total

## Notes and references

1. [Tara Nott; Physical Mag; June 2001.](http://www.physicalmag.com/index.php?p=9&a=295) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20140223002230/http://www.physicalmag.com/index.php?p=9&a=295) 2014-02-23 at the Wayback Machine

1. McCallum, Jack (2000-10-02). ["American Beauties"](https://archive.today/20121203012838/http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1020495/index.htm). *[Sports Illustrated](/source/Sports_Illustrated)*. Archived from [the original](http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1020495/index.htm) on December 3, 2012. Retrieved 2008-12-13.

1. ["CUNNINGHAM Tara"](https://web.archive.org/web/20110527171405/http://www.iwf.net/results/results_athlete_e.php?compid=579). International Weightlifting Federation. Archived from [the original](http://www.iwf.net/results/results_athlete_e.php?compid=579) on 2011-05-27.

1. McCallum, Jack (2004-08-23). ["Uplifting Farewell"](https://vault.si.com/vault/2004/08/23/uplifting-farewell/). *[Sports Illustrated](/source/Sports_Illustrated)*. [Archived](https://archive.today/20120718230055/http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1105901/index.htm) July 18, 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2008-12-13.

1. ["Hall of Fame member and gold medalist Tara Nott celebrates 45th birthday!"](https://www.iwf.net/2017/05/11/hall-of-fame-member-and-gold-medalist-tara-nott-celebrates-45th-birthday/). *www.iwf.net*. 11 May 2017.

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