Dubai: Standing at just 160cm, Sheila Taormina is short in stature but stands tall in achievements. The American is not only the shortest swimmer to win an Olympic gold medal, she is also the only woman ever to compete in three different Olympic disciplines, besides being a triathlon world champion. In the city as part of her Call The Suit swim clinic around the world tour, Taormina told XPRESS why she decided to compete in six different Olympic events in her career.
"I won gold in the 4x200 metres freestyle relay at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games," she said as she posed by the Dubai International Academy (DIA) poolside, proudly displaying the yellow metal.
Unique opportunity
"I then moved to triathlon in the 2000 Olympics and finally to modern pentathlon in the 2008 Olympics. I wanted to do something which nobody had ever attempted. It was a unique opportunity for Olympic history and I wasn't going to miss out on that."
Taormina conducted clinics with kids and adults during her visit to DIA and seemed smitten by the city. "I came to Abu Dhabi a year ago but this is my first visit to Dubai. I have been to Mall of the Emirates, The Dubai Mall, Jumeirah Beach, Mamzar Park and all the lovely places here. I have been travelling in the Metro ever since I landed here and it's a great experience. Dubai is a lot more impressive than what I've seen on TV," she said.
While her gold medal swim at Atlanta in front of her family ranks as one of her best moments, Taormina rates her win in the triathlon world championship very highly as well.
"I swam the third leg at Atlanta. Trina Jackson swam the first leg followed by Cristina Teuscher, then me and Jenny Thompson finished it off for us. That was a great moment for me, with my whole community cheering from the stands.
"The triathlon world championship in 2004 was also a great moment. I remember it was Mother's Day on the day of qualifying and I dedicated the win to my mother."
When Taormina switched to the gruelling modern pentathlon and competed in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, she was already 39 years old. And while she struggled in fencing she was glad she had decided to go through it.
"I finished first in swimming and showjumping, but by the time fencing came around, I was almost finished. I stuck it out though," she said.
And looking back, Taormina believes, she would have chosen just one sport instead of five if she could turn back the clock. "I would probably have gone for cycling, but then I am glad I decided to go through that experience. I got to know what it takes to be a champion in all these sports," she said.
While there have been several great moments in Taormina's career, there have been some embarrassing ones too, like the triathlon world cup in 1999. "I had a great swim and came out of the water alongside the woman ranked number one. I was excited at the prospect of cycling with her and in my excitement took the wrong bike. I went back, took the right one and in my haste crashed on the first bend. It didn't end there though. The crash probably led to the brakes getting locked and as I tried again I was thrown off my bike," she said.
Taormina's ability to laugh at herself comes through, as she tells of the occasion when she fell face-down on the treadmill at the Beijing Olympics village. She has no plans of being in London for the 2012 edition though. "I intend to watch it on TV with my two cats," she said.
Did you know?
Taormina competed in swimming, cycling, running, showjumping, fencing and shooting events at the Olympics
