Chloe Sutton

Chloe Elizabeth Sutton (born February 3, 1992) is an American competition swimmer who specializes in freestyle and long-distance events. Sutton represented the United States at two consecutive Olympic Games. Sutton has won a total of five medals in major international competition, three gold, one silver, and one bronze spanning the Open Water Championships, Pan Pacific Championships, and Pan American Games. She was a member of the 2012 United States Olympic team, and competed in the 400-meter freestyle at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Sutton was born on Vandenberg Air Force Base, near Lompoc, California, in 1992. She is the daughter of David and Wendy Sutton. Her father is a U.S. Air Force officer who was in the Pentagon at the time of the September 11 attacks and is a former football player who played for the U.S. Air Force Academy. Bypassing her college eligibility, Sutton became a professional swimmer on December 22, 2009 during the annual Elite Pro-AM Meet held in Oklahoma City. In 2010, Sutton graduated from high school through the University of Nebraska Independent Study Program. In 2015 Chloe graduated with her bachelor's degree in Communications.

As an open water swimmer, Sutton is a three-time medalist, and is a two-time medalist in the swimming pool. She won the first international medal of her career at the 2006 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, winning the 10-kilometer open water event. The following year, at the 2007 Pan American Games, she won gold in the same event.

At the 2008 FINA World Open Water Swimming Championships, Sutton won the bronze medal in the women's 5-kilometer open water event, finishing behind Russians Larisa Ilchenko and Ekaterina Seliverstova. Sutton qualified for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing at the test event in Beijing by beating compatriot Kirsten Groome. At the Olympics, Sutton finished in twenty-second place with a time of 2:02:13.6.

In 2009, Sutton qualified for the 2009 World Aquatics Championships by finishing second in 400-meter freestyle and first in the 800-meter freestyle at the 2009 National Championships. At the 2009 World Aquatics Championships, Sutton's best performance was eighth place in the 1,500-meter freestyle.

At the 2010 National Championships, the selection meet for the 2010 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships and the 2011 World Aquatics Championships, Sutton placed eighth in the 200-meter freestyle, third in the 400-meter freestyle, and first in the 800-meter freestyle. At the 2010 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, Sutton won gold in the 400-meter freestyle and silver in the 800-meter freestyle, the first medals of her career in the pool. Sutton also competed in the 10-kilometer open water event, but was disqualified.

At the end of 2010, Sutton competed at the 2010 FINA Short Course World Championships in Dubai, but finished out of medal contention. She placed fourth in the 400-meter freestyle and seventh in the 800-meter freestyle.

In June 2012, Sutton became the first American to make Olympic swimming teams in both open water and pool events. At the 2012 United States Olympic Trials, she earned a spot for the U.S. Olympic team in the 400-meter freestyle to go along with her 2008 Olympic appearance in the open water event. In the 400-meter freestyle final, Sutton placed second behind Allison Schmitt. She also competed in the 800-meter freestyle and finished fourth in the final. At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, she finished tenth in the preliminary heats of the 400-meter freestyle, and was not among the top eight to advance to the final.

As of June 25, 2013.