Misty Hyman
Quick Facts
Biography
Misty Dawn Marie Hyman (born March 23, 1979) is an American former competition swimmer, Olympic gold medalist, and former world record-holder. Hyman won the gold medal in the women's 200-meter butterfly at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.
In March 1996, she just missed making the U.S. Olympic team for the 1996 Games, finishing third and fourth at the U.S. Olympic Trials in the 100- and 200-meter butterfly events.
Hyman competed as a member of the U.S. Finswimming Team at the 8th World Championship held in Hungary during August 1996.
At the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, Hyman was only expected to contend for silver in women's 200-meter butterfly on the night of September 20, 2000, as Australian Susie O'Neill was expected to repeat her title (O'Neill had been undefeated in the 200-meter butterfly for the previous 3–4 years; and was swimming in her home country). Hyman was so shocked that she looked at the scoreboard three times just to make sure that she had won. Hyman's victory was largely credited to her expert use of the very difficult fish kick on turns.
Also in 2000, Hyman was ranked 35th in the world in the 50-meter butterfly, twelfth in the 100-meter butterfly, and second in the 200-meter butterfly.
Hyman failed to qualify for the 2004 Summer Olympics after finishing a disappointing 8th place in the 100-meter and 200-meter butterfly at the U.S. Olympic Trials. She retired from the sport of swimming shortly after.
Personal
Hyman graduated from Shadow Mountain High School in Phoenix, Arizona. She attended Stanford University, where she swam from the Stanford Cardinal swimming and diving team. She twice received the Honda Sports Award for Swimming and Diving, recognizing her as the outstanding college female swimmer of the year in 1997–98 and again in 2000–01. She graduated from Stanford in 2002.
In 2009, Hyman returned to Shadow Mountain High School and was appointed the Head Swim Coach. She would later be awarded the "Coach of the Year" award later that season. Hyman switched to part-time coaching at SMHS in 2011.
Hyman swam at AFOX under head coach and swim improver Bob Gillett. He was not there to see her swim, but her performance in the "golden" swim is among his biggest accomplishments.
In 1984, Hyman was diagnosed with asthma.
On November 19, 2009, it was announced that Hyman would be teaching private swim instructions as a part of the fitness team at the Sanctuary on Camelback Resort in her home state of Arizona in Paradise Valley, working with people at all levels of performance ability.
In 2015, Hyman was named an assistant coach at Arizona State University's swimming and diving team.