Anthony Nesty

Anthony Conrad Nesty (born November 25, 1967) is a Surinamese former swimmer, the second black athlete to win an Olympic medal in swimming (after Enith Brigitha in Montreal 1976). Nesty established this historic milestone at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. In the 100 m butterfly, Nesty out-touched then-favorite Matt Biondi by .01; Nesty finished in 53.00 and Biondi in 53.01. Nesty is the only Olympic medal winner from Suriname and after winning his Olympic gold medal, Nesty was unbeaten at the 100 meters butterfly for three years. Nesty attended the University of Florida.

Biography

Anthony Nesty was born in Trinidad and Tobago, the youngest of five children. Nesty's family migrated to Suriname but the exact age of his emigration is unclear: some biographies of the athlete say 'at nine months old' and others say 'at three years old.' Nesty trained and competed in Suriname and the Caribbean through the beginning of his teenage years. After placing 21st in the 100 m fly at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, Nesty entered the Bolles Prep School in Jacksonville, Florida, a renowned program for training and preparation of elite, world-class swimmers. While at Bolles as a sophomore, Nesty broke the prep school 100-yard butterfly record held by Pablo Morales. Breaking Morales's record was the beginning of numerous other successes for Nesty. In 1987, he won the gold medal in the 100 m butterfly and the bronze medal in the 200 m butterfly at the Pan American Games in Indianapolis, Indiana. These victories established the foundation that would lead to his successes at the Seoul Olympics.

Nesty's victory in Seoul was a momentous social and political event for Afro-Caribbeans. The Suriname government commemorated Nesty's gold-medal performance on a stamp and on gold and silver coins. A 25 Guilders bank note portraying the illustration of a butterfly swimmer was printed in his honor.

After his gold in Seoul, Nesty enjoyed a successful swimming career at the University of Florida, winning three consecutive NCAA Championships in the 100-yard butterfly (1990-92), one in the 200-yard butterfly (1990), and one as a member of the school's 400-yard medley relay (1991). He also won gold medals in the 100-meter butterfly at the Goodwill Games in 1990 and the FINA World Championships in 1991. Nesty attempted to defend his 1988 gold medal in the 100 fly at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, but ended up with a third-place bronze medal.

Currently, Nesty is an assistant coach at the University of Florida. After serving as the men's assistant coach his first year, Nesty now is involved with both the men's and women's programs, but primarily works with the men's team.