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| Jay
LITHERLAND |
| Sport |
Swimming |
| NOC |
United States
|
| Gender | Men |
| Born | 24 Aug 1995
in Osaka, JPN |
| Height | 1.83 m |
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Sport Specific Information |
Club / Team |
Dynamo Swim Club: Atlanta, GA, USA |
Further Personal Information |
Higher education |
Business - University of Georgia: Athens, GA, USA |
General Interest |
Famous relatives |
He and brothers Mick and Kevin are triplets. His brothers have swum at national level in the United States of America and also represented the University of Georgia. (georgiadogs.com, 01 Feb 2016; teamusa.org, 26 Jun 2016; SportsDeskOnline, 18 Nov 2020) |
Sport Specific Information |
Why this sport? |
He and his two brothers, who are all triplets, were born two months premature due to breathing issues, so their parents encouraged them to take up swimming to strengthen their lungs. "We just loved the pool, and water in general, whenever we were in it. When we lived in California, we had a pool in our backyard, and when we moved to Miami, our parents signed us up for swim lessons." |
Name of coach |
Ian Murray [club] |
When and where did you begin this sport? |
He took up swimming at age eight. |
Further Personal Information |
Languages |
English, Japanese |
General Interest |
Other information |
TRIPLETS
He is a triplet, along with brothers Mick and Kevin. He is a fraternal triplet, while Mick and Kevin are identical. (swimswam.com, 01 Jul 2016; teamusa.org, 26 Jun 2016)
NATIONALITY
He and his brothers hold three different passports, having citizenship in the United States of America, Japan, and New Zealand. The brothers were born in Osaka, Japan, to a Japanese mother and a New Zealand father. After Japan, the family moved to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, before coming to the United States of America in 1999. They lived in California and Florida before settling in Georgia. As the family moved around, swimming became a way for the brothers to find friends in new places. His brothers first tried to qualify for the Olympic Games for New Zealand, but that was not an option for him because he had already represented the United States of America in international competition. He says he was able to use the support of his Japanese relatives to spur him on to a silver medal in the 400m individual medley at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. "I have relatives in Osaka right now who are cheering me on. I felt their energy and power in that last 100 [metres]. It brought me home." (people.com, 25 Jul 2021; swimswam.com, 01 Jul 2016; teamusa.org, 26 Jun 2016) |
Further Personal Information |
Occupation |
Athlete |
Sport Specific Information |
Training Regime |
He trains with fellow US swimmer Chase Kalisz, a member of the Athens Bulldog Swim Club which is also based in Georgia, United States of America. |
Further Personal Information |
Residence |
Laguna Niguel, CA, USA |
Olympic Games |
| Rank |
Year |
Venue |
Event |
Result |
| 2 |
2021 |
Tokyo, JPN |
400m Individual Medley |
4:10.28 |
| 5 |
2016 |
Rio de Janeiro, BRA |
400m Individual Medley |
4:11.68 |
World Championships |
| Rank |
Year |
Venue |
Event |
Result |
| 2 |
2019 |
Gwangju, KOR |
400m Individual Medley |
4:09.22 |
| 5 |
2017 |
Budapest, HUN |
400m Individual Medley |
4:12.05 |
| 3 |
2017 |
Budapest, HUN |
4 x 200m Freestyle Relay |
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Pan American Games |
| Rank |
Year |
Venue |
Event |
Result |
| 4 |
2023 |
Santiago, CHI |
400m Freestyle |
3:52.72 |
| 1 |
2023 |
Santiago, CHI |
400m Individual Medley |
4:15.44 |
World Cup Short Course |
| Rank |
Year |
Venue |
Event |
Result |
| 7 |
2013 |
Beijing, CHN |
400m Individual Medley |
4:11.23 |
| 7 |
2013 |
Tokyo, JPN |
400m Individual Medley |
4:08.66 |
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