Thomas Peter Wilkens (born November 25, 1975) is an American former competition swimmer and Olympic medalist.

Tom Wilkens
Personal information
Full nameThomas Peter Wilkens
Nickname"Tom"
National team United States
Born (1975-11-25) November 25, 1975 (age 49)
Middletown Township, New Jersey
Height6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight181 lb (82 kg)
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesBreaststroke, individual medley
ClubSanta Clara Swim Club
College teamStanford University
Medal record
Men's swimming
Representing the United States
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place 2000 Sydney 200 m medley
World Championships (LC)
Silver medal – second place 2001 Fukuoka 200 m medley
Bronze medal – third place 2001 Fukuoka 400 m medley
World Championships (SC)
Gold medal – first place 2002 Moscow 400 m medley
Bronze medal – third place 2002 Moscow 200 m medley
Pan Pacific Championships
Gold medal – first place 1999 Sydney 200 m medley
Silver medal – second place 1999 Sydney 200 m breaststroke
Bronze medal – third place 1997 Fukuoka 200 m breaststroke
Bronze medal – third place 1999 Sydney 400 m medley
Bronze medal – third place 2002 Yokohama 200 m medley
Summer Universiade
Gold medal – first place 1995 Fukuoka 200 m medley
Tom Wilkens
Personal details
Political partyRepublican[1][2]

Wilkens represented the United States at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. He received a bronze medal for his third-place performance in the men's 200-meter individual medley, finishing with a time of 2:00.87. He also competed in the preliminary heats of the men's 200-meter breaststroke, but did not advance.[3] The breaststroker was one of the featured swimmers in P.H. Mullen's book Gold in the Water.

Wilkens grew up in Middletown Township, New Jersey, while swimming at the Middletown Swim and Tennis Club. He attended Christian Brothers Academy in Lincroft, and graduated from Stanford University.[4]

He helped Stanford win the NCAA team championship in 1998, in addition to second-place finishes in 1995 and 1997. He won five NCAA championship events: the 400 individual medley in 1997, the 200 breaststroke in 1998, the 200 and 400 individual medleys in 1998, and the 400 medley relay in 1998. He was inducted into the Stanford Athletics Hall of Fame in 2023.[5]

He was elected as a Republican to serve as a Township Committeeman in Middletown Township.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Exclusive: Olympic Medalist Tom Wilkens Prepares to Challenge Frank Pallone". The New York Observer. February 6, 2017.
  2. ^ "Tom Wilkens". www.linkedin.com.
  3. ^ Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Athletes, Tom Wilkens. Retrieved November 6, 2012.
  4. ^ Frank Litsky, "Swimming: National Spring Championship; Wilkens Didn't Expect This Much Success," The New York Times (March 31, 1999). Retrieved June 13, 2011. "When Tom Wilkens was growing up in Middletown, N.J., and swimming for Christian Brothers Academy in nearby Lincroft, he never thought he would be ranked No. 1 in the world in a race that was not even his specialty."
  5. ^ "2023 Hall of Fame Class". Stanford Athletics. August 17, 2023.
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