Leanne Smith (swimmer)
Leanne Smith (born May 8, 1988) is an American para swimmer who represented the United States at the 2020 and 2024 Summer Paralympics. She is a thirteen-time World Champion.[1]
Career
[edit]Smith represented the United States in the women's 100 metre freestyle S3 event and won a silver medal at the 2020 Summer Paralympics.[2]
On April 14, 2022, Smith was named to the roster to represent the United States at the 2022 World Para Swimming Championships.[3] At the World Championships, she won a gold medal in all seven events she participated in, to lead all swimmers in gold medals. Her seven gold medals were the most in a single championships by an American since Jessica Long also won seven gold medals in 2010.[4]
Following the 2022 World Para Championships, she fell ill with a respiratory infection. As a result, she spent several weeks in the hospital with a partially collapsed lung, including time in the intensive care unit. During this time she had to relearn how to eat, speak, swallow and swim.[5] After extensive rehab on April 29, 2023, Smith was named to the roster to represent the United States at the 2023 World Para Swimming Championships. During the event she won a bronze medal in the 200 metre freestyle S3 event.[6]
She competed at the 2025 World Para Swimming Championships and tied Katie Kubiak as team USA's most decorated swimmer at the event with seven medals. She won three gold medals, two silver medals and two bronze medals.[7]
Personal life
[edit]In 2012 Smith was diagnosed with dystonia, a progressive disease which affects all four of her limbs, her vocal cords and her trunk. She was also diagnosed with lupus.[8][9]
References
[edit]- ^ "Leanne Smith". TeamUSA.org. Archived from the original on July 29, 2021. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
- ^ "Swimming - Leanne Smith". Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on August 30, 2021. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
- ^ Gowdy, Kristen (April 14, 2022). "U.S. Paralympics Swimming Nominates 25 athletes to World Championship Roster". teamusa.org. Archived from the original on May 16, 2022. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
- ^ "Leanne Smith leads U.S. with seven golds at world para swimming championships". NBC Sports. June 18, 2022. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
- ^ Costantini, Lisa (January 16, 2024). "Paralympic Swimmer Leanne Smith On Her Comeback Story". teamusa.com. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
- ^ Overend, Riley (April 29, 2023). "U.S. Paralympics Swimming Selects 22 (Including Just 6 Men) for 2023 Worlds Roster". SwimSwam. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
- ^ D'Addona, Dan (September 27, 2025). "World Para Swimming Championships: USA Ties for Most Gold on Final Day". Swimming World. Retrieved September 27, 2025.
- ^ Bowker, Paul D. (June 16, 2022). "Swimming Began As Rehabilitation For Leanne Smith; Now She Can't Stop Winning". teamusa.com. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
- ^ Meyer, Dan (October 5, 2023). "How Community Keeps Para Swimmer Leanne Smith Strong Anywhere She Goes". NBC Sports. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
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- 1988 births
- Living people
- American female freestyle swimmers
- Sportspeople from Beverly, Massachusetts
- Medalists at the World Para Swimming Championships
- Paralympic swimmers for the United States
- Paralympic gold medalists for the United States
- Paralympic silver medalists for the United States
- Paralympic medalists in swimming
- Swimmers at the 2020 Summer Paralympics
- Swimmers at the 2024 Summer Paralympics
- Medalists at the 2020 Summer Paralympics
- Medalists at the 2024 Summer Paralympics
- Swimmers from Massachusetts
- 21st-century American sportswomen
- American female backstroke swimmers
- American female breaststroke swimmers
- American female medley swimmers
- S3-classified para swimmers
- American swimming biography stubs
- American Paralympic medalist stubs