Meet Lydia Jacoby, the 17-year-old who became first Alaskan to win Olympic gold in swimming

R&I ~ MJM

On a night where the U.S. watched several Olympic and world record-holders dive into the pool at the Tokyo Aquatics Center, it was a 17-year-old Alaskan who took away the spotlight.

Lydia Jacoby, who joined the team from Seward, Alaska, stunned the world when she surged late in the women’s 100-meter breaststroke on Monday, beating teammate and reigning Olympic champion Lilly King (who also happens to hold the world record) and South African star Tatyana Schoenmaker for the gold medal in the race. She was already the first Alaskan swimmer to qualify for the Olympics, and now is the state’s first Olympic gold medalist.
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Jacoby doesn’t just limit her talents to the water: She has also shown off her skills on the stage and in the paper.

According to the Seward Journal, she has been part of the Snow River String Band, where she plays bluegrass music, for six years. She not only sings, but also knows how to play the piano, double bass and guitar. Jacoby has also appeared on the stage as a cast member in several plays.

Readers of the Seward Journal will find her name in more places than the body copy. She has also been spotted sporting a byline in the page. Her most recent article with the paper came on June 13, 2020, when she wrote about, you guessed it, swimming.

And if all that isn’t enough, the Seward Journal also reported that her main interest in a long-term career is in fashion; she plans to major in textile and apparel design and management when she joins the University of Texas in 2022.

FoundingFrog

Article URL : https://www.sportingnews.com/us/athletics/news/lydia-jacoby-alaskan-olympics-gold-swimming/16s6nk3b38of818ryo5bpu30vw