Tracie Lehuanani Ruiz-Conforto (born February 4, 1963) is a three-time Olympic medalist[1] from the United States in synchronised swimming.
 Ruiz (left) and Costie in 1984 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Tracie Lehuanani Ruiz-Conforto | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team |  United States | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | February 4, 1963 Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 4 in (1.62 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 121 lb (55 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Swimming | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Strokes | Synchronised swimming | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Arizona Wildcats | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coach | Charlotte Jennings Davis | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Career
editTracie excelled in both the solo and duet routines, winning a total of 41 gold medals during her career at national and international level.[2] In the women's solo event, Ruiz achieved consecutive victories at the 1983 and 1987 Pan American Games, and she was the inaugural champion [3] at the 1984 Summer Olympics. She narrowly missed out on a further gold at the 1988 Summer Olympics, settling for silver after having been beaten by her Canadian rival, Carolyn Waldo.[4] Her domination of the event at the national level resulted in first place at all six US championships between 1981 and 1986.
She enjoyed a successful partnership with fellow American, Candy Costie,[5] which included a silver medal in the women's duet at the 1982 World Aquatics Championships in Guayaquil. Over the next few years, they increased their medal haul, winning gold at both the 1983 Pan American Games and the 1984 Summer Olympics. Their partnership also extended to winning four US national championships and one NCAA national championship.[2]
Personal life
editIn June 1985, she married Michael Anthony Conforto, a former Penn State football player who had helped her train for the Olympics. Their son, Michael Conforto, played professional baseball for the New York Mets from 2015 until 2021 and is currently a member of the San Francisco Giants. Their daughter, Jacqueline, played soccer at Azusa Pacific University.[6]
Awards
editTracie Ruiz was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in 1993.[2]
See also
editReferences
edit
- ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Tracie Ruiz". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 17, 2020. Retrieved November 20, 2014.
- ^ a b c "Tracie Ruiz (USA): 1993 Honor, Synchronized Swimmer". ISHOF.org. International Swimming Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on November 29, 2014. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
- ^ "1984 Summer Olympics – Los Angeles, United States – Synchronized Swimming". databaseOlympics.com. Archived from the original on November 29, 2014. Retrieved November 20, 2014.
- ^ Dodds, Tracy (September 30, 1988). "Ruiz-Conforto Second as Waldo Takes Gold". Los Angeles Times. USA. Retrieved November 21, 2014.
- ^ Faber, Nancy (April 16, 1984). "Candy Costie and Tracie Ruiz Are at Their Most Buoyant When They Get That Synching Feeling". People. USA. Retrieved November 20, 2014.
- ^ DiComo, Anthony (June 6, 2014). "Mets fill organizational need with outfielder Conforto". MLB.com. Retrieved November 21, 2014.
