Amanda Beard in 2004 Summer Olympics uniform Amanda Ray Beard (Irvine, California, October 29, 1981) is an American Olympic swimmer. Beard made her first Olympic appearance at the 1996 games at the age of 14. She won silver medals in the 100-meter and 200-meter breaststrokes, and a gold in the medley relay. Her childlike manner captured the imagination of the media, and she was often photographed clutching her teddy bear, Harold, who joined her on the medal stand. She won a bronze in the 200-meter breaststroke at the 2000 Games. Beard attended the University of Arizona where she captured an individual NCAA National Championship in 2001. Gold medal 1996 Atlanta Swimming Women's 4x100m medley relay Gold medal 2004 Athens Swimming Women's 200m breaststroke Silver medal 1996 Atlanta Swimming Women's 100m breaststroke Silver medal 1996 Atlanta Swimming Women's 200m breaststroke Silver medal 2004 Athens Swimming Women's 200m individual medley Silver medal 2004 Athens Swimming Women's 4x100m medley relay Bronze medal 2000 Sydney Swimming Women's 200m breastroke In 2003 she became the world champion and world record holder for the 200m breaststroke. She made a good showing at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Swim Trials and competed in the 2004 Olympic Games, where she won gold in the 200-meter breaststroke, her first individual gold medal. She also won silver in the 200-meter individual medley and finished fourth in the 100-meter breaststroke. Beard won eight U.S. champion titles (3 times both in 200m breaststroke and 100m breaststroke, 2 times in 200m individual medley). She is 1st in world ranking of 200m breaststroke since 2003. Beard dated South African swimmer Ryk Neethling for nearly six years, but that relationship ended in the Spring of 2005. Her relationship with Nextel Cup Series driver Carl Edwards ended in April of 2006. She is very popular in her country and is considered a sex symbol by many people. She is a spokesperson for Defenders of Wildlife and enjoys interior decorating. Both of her sisters, Leah and Taryn, are swimmers. Beard placed eighth in the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach Celebrity Race in 2006. Personal bests Beard's personal bests in long-course meters are: 100m breaststroke: 1:07.42 200m breaststroke: 2:22.44 (2nd Fastest Swimmer in event) 200m individual medley: 2:11.70 External links Official website Amanda Beard's U.S. Olympic Team bio (with photos, video, and quotes) Olympic medalists in swimming (women) | Olympic Champions in Women's 200 m Breaststroke 1924: Lucy Morton | 1928: Hilde Schrader | 1932: Clare Dennis | 1936: Hideko Maehata | 1948: Nel van Vliet | 1952: Eva Székely | 1956: Ursula Happe | 1960: Anita Lonsbrough | 1964: Galina Prozumenshchikova | 1968: Sharon Wichman | 1972: Beverley Whitfield | 1976: Marina Kosheveya | 1980: Lina Kačiušytė | 1984: Anne Ottenbrite | 1988: Silke Hörner | 1992: Kyoko Iwasaki | 1996: Penny Heyns | 2000: Agnes Kovacs | 2004: Amanda Beard This biographical article related to swimming is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Search Term: "Amanda_Beard" Categories: Swimming biography stubs | 1981 births | Living people | Swimmers at the 1996 Summer Olympics | Swimmers at the 2000 Summer Olympics | Swimmers at the 2004 Summer Olympics | Olympic swimmers of the United States | People from Irvine, California