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{{short description|American swimmer}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2015}}
{{Infobox swimmer
| name           = Cullen Jones
| image          = Cullen Jones at St. Benedict's.jpg
| image_size     = 240
| alt            =
| caption        = Jones at St. Benedict's with Headmaster Fr. Edwin Leahy
| full_name      = Cullen Andrew Jones
| nicknames      = 
| national_team  = {{USA}}
| birth_date     = {{Birth date and age|1984|2|29|mf=y}}
| birth_place    = {{nowrap|[[New York City]], [[New York (state)|New York]], U.S.}}
| death_date     =
| death_place    =
| height         = 6 ft 5 in
| weight         = 210 lb
| strokes        = [[Freestyle swimming|Freestyle]]
| club           = Wolfpack Elite
<!-- Infobox swimmer does not support the following parameter:
| highschool     = Saint Benedict's Preparatory School
-->
| collegeteam    = [[NC State Wolfpack|North Carolina State University]]
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalSport | Men's swimming}}
{{MedalCountry |{{USA}}}}
{{MedalCount
|[[Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]|2|2|0
|[[World Aquatics Championships|World Championships (LC)]]|2|1|0
|[[World Aquatics Championships|World Championships (SC)]]|0|1|1
|[[Pan Pacific Swimming Championships|Pan Pacific Championships]]|2|0|0
|[[Pan American Games]]|0|0|1
|[[Swimming at the Summer Universiade|Universiade]]|1|0|0
|'''Total'''|'''7'''|'''4'''|'''2'''
}}
{{MedalCompetition | [[Swimming at the Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]}}
[[File:Olympic rings.svg|center|80px]]
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics|2008 Beijing]] | [[Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay|4×100 m freestyle]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2012 Summer Olympics|2012 London]] | [[Swimming at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metre medley relay|4×100 m medley]]}}
{{MedalSilver | 2012 London | [[Swimming at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Men's 50 metre freestyle|50 m freestyle]]}}
{{MedalSilver | 2012 London | [[Swimming at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay|4×100 m freestyle]]}}
{{MedalCompetition | [[FINA World Aquatics Championships|World Championships (LC)]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2007 World Aquatics Championships|2007 Melbourne]] | [[Swimming at the 2007 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay|4×100 m freestyle]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2009 World Aquatics Championships|2009 Rome]] | [[Swimming at the 2009 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay|4×100 m freestyle]]}}
{{MedalSilver | 2007 Melbourne | [[Swimming at the 2007 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 50 metre freestyle|50 m freestyle]]}}
{{MedalCompetition | [[FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m)|World Championships (SC)]]}}
{{MedalSilver | [[2006 FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m)|2006 Shanghai]] | 50 m freestyle}}
{{MedalBronze | 2006 Shanghai | 4×100 m freestyle}}
{{MedalCompetition | [[Pan Pacific Swimming Championships|Pan Pacific Championships]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[2006 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships|2006 Victoria]] | [[2006 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Men's 50 metre freestyle|50 m freestyle]]}}
{{MedalGold | 2006 Victoria | [[2006 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Men's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay|4×100 m freestyle]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Pan American Games]]}}
{{MedalBronze|[[2015 Pan American Games|2015 Toronto]] |[[Swimming at the 2015 Pan American Games – Men's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay|4×100 m freestyle]]}}
{{MedalCompetition | [[Swimming at the 2005 Summer Universiade|Universiade]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2005 Summer Universiade|2005 Izmir]] | 50 m freestyle}}
}}

'''Cullen Andrew Jones''' (born February 29, 1984) is an American former<ref>{{cite web |url= https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=H4EI2snSdvE|title=Cullen Jones announces retirement on Brett Hawke podcast|website=[[YouTube]] }}</ref> competition swimmer and Olympic gold medalist who specializes in [[Freestyle swimming|freestyle]] sprint events.  As part of the American team, he holds the [[List of world records in swimming|world record]] in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay (long course).  At the [[2012 Summer Olympics]], he won silver medals in the 4 x 100-meter freestyle relay and the 50-meter freestyle, as well as the gold in the 4 x 100-metre medley.

==Childhood==
Born on [[Leap day]] of 1984<ref name="gale" /> in the [[Bronx]] borough of New York City, Jones moved to [[Irvington, New Jersey]], while in elementary school. He learned to swim after he was rescued from a near-drowning at a splash-down pool at [[Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom]] in [[Pennsylvania]] when he was five years old.<ref name="gale">{{cite book |title=Contemporary Black Biography |date=2009 |publisher=Gale |volume=73 |issn=1058-1316 |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/K1606004349/BIC?u=wikipedia&sid=bookmark-BIC&xid=060c09b9 |access-date=9 September 2021 |chapter=Cullen Jones}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/SummerSizzle/story?id=5429503&page=1| title = Olympian Seeks to Highlight Swimming in African-American Community - ABC News| website = [[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]}}</ref>  He became an age-group swimmer at Metro Express, a club team at the Jewish Community Center in West Orange, New Jersey under head coach Ed Nessel.  Jones later switched teams to the Jersey Gators Swim Club in Cranford under Lou Petroziello. Jones graduated from [[Saint Benedict's Preparatory School]] in [[Newark, New Jersey|Newark]] in 2002. While there, he swam for coach Glenn Cassidy and set numerous [[Essex County, New Jersey|Essex County]] swimming records.

==Swimming career==
Jones attended [[North Carolina State University]], where he studied English and swam for the [[NC State Wolfpack]] swimming and diving team in the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association]] (NCAA) competition from 2003 to 2006.

===2006===
He turned professional in the summer of 2006, after signing with [[Nike, Inc.|Nike]]<ref>[http://swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/11935.asp Swimming World Magazine – Swimming News<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060903104502/http://swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/11935.asp |date=September 3, 2006 }}</ref> and burst onto the scene shortly after at the [[2006 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships]] where he set a [[List of Pan Pacific Championships records in swimming|meet record]] in the [[2006 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Men's 50 metre freestyle|50-meter freestyle]] with a time of 21.84 seconds.  He also swam a leg (split of 47.96) in the world record breaking [[2006 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Men's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay|4×100-meter freestyle relay]] along with [[Michael Phelps]], [[Neil Walker (swimmer)|Neil Walker]] and [[Jason Lezak]].

===2007===
In 2007, he also won a gold medal in [[Swimming at the 2007 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay|4×100-meter freestyle relay]] with the same teammates in the [[2007 World Aquatics Championships]].

===2008 Summer Olympics===
{{see also|Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics}}
{{MedalTableTop|name=no|header=[[Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics|2008 Summer Olympics]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay|4x100 m freestyle relay]] | 3:08.24 (WR) }}
{{MedalBottom}}
Jones is the first African-American to hold a world record (4×100-meter freestyle relay) in swimming.<ref>[http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/2008/07/31/2008-07-31_whats_on_tv_thursday_night.html "What's on TV Thursday night"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090626011132/http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/2008/07/31/2008-07-31_whats_on_tv_thursday_night.html |date=June 26, 2009 }}, ''[[New York Daily News]]'', July 31, 2008. Accessed August 10, 2008.</ref> At the [[2008 United States Olympic Trials (swimming)|2008 United States Olympic Trials]], Jones broke the American record in the 50-meter freestyle with a time of 21.59.  The record was subsequently broken the next day by [[Garrett Weber-Gale]].  At the [[Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics|2008 Olympic Games]] in Beijing, China, he won a gold medal in the [[Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay|4×100-meter freestyle relay]] in a world record time of 3:08.24 with Michael Phelps, Jason Lezak and Garrett Weber-Gale.<ref name="SR">{{cite Sports-Reference}}</ref>

===2009===
In July 2009, Jones set the American record in the 50-meter freestyle at the U.S. National Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana.<ref>[https://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iZ9LUUkRws4ffM3_y9B0TGO8jYSQD99CHVJ01 "Jones sets American record in 50 free"]{{dead link|date=June 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}, "[[Associated Press]]", July 12, 2009.</ref>

===2012===
====2012 US Olympic Trials====
At the [[2012 United States Olympic Trials (swimming)|2012 United States Olympic Trials]] in Omaha, Nebraska, the qualifying meet for the 2012 Olympics, Jones made the Olympic team for the second time by finishing first in the 50-meter freestyle and second in the 100-meter freestyle, which subsequently qualified him for the 4×100-meter freestyle relay.  In the 50-meter freestyle final, Jones won with a time of 21.59, one one-hundredth (0.01) of a second ahead of second-place finisher [[Anthony Ervin]] (21.60).<ref>{{cite web|last=Tjarks|first=Jonathan|title=2012 Olympic Swimming Trials: Cullen Jones wins 50M Free, Anthony Ervin Qualifies|url=https://www.sbnation.com/london-olympics-2012/2012/7/1/3130987/olympic-swimming-trials-results-50m-free|work=sbnation.com|date=July 2012 |access-date=August 5, 2012}}</ref>

====2012 Summer Olympics====
{{see also|Swimming at the 2012 Summer Olympics}}
{{MedalTableTop|name=no|header=[[Swimming at the 2012 Summer Olympics|2012 Summer Olympics]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metre medley relay|4x100 m medley relay]] | 3:29.35 }}
{{MedalSilver | [[Swimming at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Men's 50 metre freestyle|50 m freestyle]] | 21.54 }}
{{MedalSilver | [[Swimming at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay|4x100 m freestyle relay]] | 3:10.38 }}
{{MedalBottom}}
At the [[Swimming at the 2012 Summer Olympics|2012 Summer Olympics]] in London, Jones won silver medals in the [[Swimming at the 2012 Summer Olympics - Men's 50 metre freestyle|50-meter freestyle]] and the [[Swimming at the 2012 Summer Olympics - Men's 4 x 100 metre freestyle relay|4×100-meter freestyle relay]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Brady|first=Erik|title=USA's Cullen Jones gets oh so close to an Olympic Dream|url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/london/swimming/story/2012-08-03/cullen-jones-wins-silver-50-free-london-olympics/56752362/1|work=usatoday.com|access-date=August 5, 2012|date=August 3, 2012}}</ref> He earned a gold medal in the [[Swimming at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metre medley relay|4×100-meter medley relay]] after swimming the freestyle leg in the preliminaries.<ref>{{cite news|title=Swimming: U.S. qualifies for men's medley relay|url=http://ca.reuters.com/article/sportsNews/idCABRE8720L120120803|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150111160129/http://ca.reuters.com/article/sportsNews/idCABRE8720L120120803|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 11, 2015|work=ca.retuters.com|access-date=August 5, 2012|date=August 3, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Forde|first=Pat|title=Michael Phelps swims into retirement with 18th Olympic Gold on U.S. 400 Medley Relay Team|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/news/olympics--michael-phelps-swims-into-retirement-with-18th-olympic-gold-medal-on-winning-400-medley-relay-team.html|work=yahoo.com|date=August 4, 2012 |access-date=August 5, 2012}}</ref> He also competed in the [[Swimming at the 2012 Summer Olympics - Men's 100 metre freestyle|100-meter freestyle]], but did not qualify for the event finals.<ref name="SR" /><ref>{{cite web|last=Smith|first=Jared|title=Men's 100-Meter Freestyle Final: USA's Cullen Jones Misses Final, Nathan Adrian Wins Gold|url=http://newyork.sbnation.com/2012/8/1/3213394/mens-swimming-100m-freestyle-gold-medal-results-2012-cullen-jones-nathan-adrian-yannick-agnel|work=sbnation.com|date=August 2012 |access-date=August 5, 2012}}</ref>

The 2012 U.S. Olympic swim team was the first U.S. Olympic swim team with more than one black swimmer on it, Jones made history with Anthony Ervin and [[Lia Neal]] by being the three African-Americans on the team.<ref name="ABS5July2012">[https://atlantablackstar.com/2012/07/05/black-swimmers-have-historic-presence-in-london-olympics/ "Black Swimmers Have Historic Presence in London Olympics"]. ''[[Atlanta Black Star]]''. July 5, 2012. Retrieved July 3, 2021.</ref>

==Personal bests (long course)==
{|class="wikitable" style="font-size:98%; text-align:center;"
!width="100"| Event
!width="100"| Time
!width="100"| Date
|-
|align="left"| 50 m freestyle 
|21.40
|July 2009
|-
|align="left"| 100 m freestyle
|48.31
|July 2008 
|-
|}

'''Key''':  NR = National record

==See also==
{{Portal|Biography|Olympics}}
* [[Diversity in swimming]]
* [[List of Olympic medalists in swimming (men)]]
* [[List of United States records in swimming]]
* [[List of World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming (men)]]
* [[List of world records in swimming]]
* [[World record progression 4 × 100 metres freestyle relay]]

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

==External links==
* {{Official website}}
* {{World Aquatics}}
* {{Olympics.com profile|org_archive=20200731063353}}
* {{Olympedia}}
* {{USA Swimming|new_id=cullen-jones|archive=20210602224243}}
* {{Team USA|new_id=cullen-jones|old_id=JO/Cullen-Jones|archive=20230318110541}}
* [http://www.dotellproductions.com/ ''Parting the Waters''] – Documentary film about Cullen Jones at DoTellProductions.com

{{Footer USA Swimming 2008 Summer Olympics}}
{{Footer USA Swimming 2012 Summer Olympics}}
{{Footer Olympic Champions 4x100 m Freestyle Relay Men}}
{{Footer Olympic Champions 4x100 m Medley Relay Men}}
{{Footer World LC Champions 4x100m Freestyle Men}}
{{Footer Pan Pacific Champions 50m Freestyle Men}}
{{Footer Pan Pacific Champions 4x100m Freestyle Men}}
{{Footer Universiade Champions 50m Freestyle Men}}
{{ACC Swimmer of the Year navbox}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Cullen}}
[[Category:1984 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:African-American Christians]]
[[Category:African-American swimmers]]
[[Category:American male freestyle swimmers]]
[[Category:Baptists from New York (state)]]
[[Category:Medalists at the FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m)]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2012 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2008 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:NC State Wolfpack men's swimmers]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for the United States in swimming]]
[[Category:Olympic silver medalists for the United States in swimming]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Irvington, New Jersey]]
[[Category:St. Benedict's Preparatory School alumni]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from the Bronx]]
[[Category:Swimmers at the 2008 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Swimmers at the 2012 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Summer World University Games medalists in swimming]]
[[Category:World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming]]
[[Category:World record holders in swimming]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2005 Summer Universiade]]
[[Category:FISU World University Games gold medalists for the United States]]
[[Category:Swimmers at the 2015 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2015 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Pan American Games bronze medalists for the United States in swimming]]
[[Category:21st-century American sportsmen]]