Sandy Neilson
American swimmer with three Olympic gold medals.
Sandra Lynn Neilson, known as Sandy Bell after marriage, is an American former competition swimmer who won three Olympic gold medals and set world records. She is recognized as a three-time Olympic gold medalist and former world record-holder.
Quick Facts
- Full name
- Sandra Lynn Neilson
- Nickname
- "Sandy"
- National team
- United States
- Strokes
- Freestyle
- Club
- El Monte Aquatic Club
- College team
- University of California, Santa Barbara
- Born
- 20 March 1956
- Birthplace
- Burbank, California, U.S.
Facts from the source article.
Amateur career
Neilson's only Amateur Athletic Union national title came in 1971, when she won the 100-yard freestyle. As an El Monte High School student, she set CIF Southern Section records in 1972 for both the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyle. She then swam for the UCSB Gauchos at UC Santa Barbara, earning three All-American honors. In 1977, she swept the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women national championships in the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyle.
1972 Summer Olympics
At age 16, Neilson competed in the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich despite being ranked third among American swimmers. She won the 100-meter freestyle in an Olympic record time of 58.59 seconds, defeating favorites Shane Gould and Shirley Babashoff. This victory earned her places on the 4×100-meter freestyle and 4×100-meter medley relay teams, both of which won gold medals in world record times. The day after swimming events ended, during the Munich massacre, Gould and Babashoff huddled with Neilson in her Olympic Village room.
Post-Olympic life
In 1984, Neilson met her coach and future husband, Dr. Keith Bell, a Texas sports psychologist. Bell argued that Neilson had been retired for nine years despite her participation in U.S. Masters Swimming, making her eligible for the International Swimming Hall of Fame, into which she was inducted in 1986. She competed in the 1988 and 1992 U.S. Olympic Trials and missed qualifying for the 1996 Trials in the 50-meter freestyle by 0.09 seconds. In 1996, she became the first swimmer over 40 ranked in the world top 25 in an event and the first over 40 to compete at the U.S. National Championships; USA Swimming named its comeback award after her.
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