Kevin Cordes

Kevin Cordes

Cordes in 2017
Personal information
National team	United States
Born	(1993-08-13) August 13, 1993 (age 31) Naperville, Illinois, U.S.
Height	1.96 m (6 ft 5 in)
Weight	88 kg (194 lb)
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Strokes	Breaststroke
Club	Cali Condors
College team	University of Arizona
Medal record Men's swimming Representing the  United States Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 1 0 0 World Championships (LC) 3 3 1 World Championships (SC) 1 0 1 Pan Pacific Championships 1 0 0 Pan American Games 0 0 1 Total 6 3 3 Olympic Games 2016 Rio de Janeiro 4×100 m medley World Championships (LC) 2015 Kazan 4×100 m medley 2017 Budapest 4×100 m medley 2017 Budapest 4x100 m mixed medley 2015 Kazan 200 m breaststroke 2015 Kazan 4×100 m mixed medley 2017 Budapest 100 m breaststroke 2015 Kazan 50 m breaststroke World Championships (SC) 2012 Istanbul 4×100 m medley 2012 Istanbul 100 m breaststroke Pan Pacific Championships 2014 Gold Coast 4×100 m medley Pan American Games 2019 Lima 100 m breaststroke Representing the Arizona Wildcats Event 1st 2nd 3rd NCAA Championships 8 2 2 Total 8 2 2 By race Event 1st 2nd 3rd 100 y breaststroke 4 0 0 200 y breaststroke 2 1 1 4×50 y medley 1 0 1 4×100 y medley 1 1 0 Total 8 2 2 NCAA Championships 2012 Federal Way 100 y breaststroke 2012 Federal Way 4×50 y medley 2013 Indianapolis 100 y breaststroke 2013 Indianapolis 200 y breaststroke 2013 Indianapolis 4×100 y medley 2014 Austin 100 y breaststroke 2014 Austin 200 y breaststroke 2015 Iowa City 100 y breaststroke 2012 Federal Way 4×100 y medley 2015 Iowa City 200 y breaststroke 2012 Federal Way 200 y breaststroke 2013 Indianapolis 4×50 y medley

Kevin Cordes (/ˈkɒrdɪs/ CORE-dis; born August 13, 1993) is an American competitive swimmer who specializes in breaststroke events. He currently represents the Cali Condors which is part of the International Swimming League. Cordes was a member of the 2016 U.S. Men's Olympic Swimming Team. He won gold in the 4 × 100 m medley relay as a member of the preliminary relay, and took 4th place in the Men's 100m Breaststroke at the 2016 Olympic Games.^[1] He is the former American record holder in the 50-meter and 100-meter breaststroke (long course).

Early life and education

Cordes was born in Naperville, Illinois in 1993, the son of Bill and Kristin Cordes. He is a 2011 graduate of Neuqua Valley High School and he graduated from the University of Arizona, where he was majoring in physiology. Swimming for the Arizona Wildcats, he was a six-time NCAA individual national champion, winning the 100-yard breaststroke four years in a row and the 200-yard breaststroke in 2013 and 2014. Cordes was the 2013 and 2014 NCAA Swimmer of the Year.

Career

2012

At the 2012 United States Olympic Trials, Cordes missed qualifying for the Olympic team, finishing third in the 100-meter breaststroke (1:00.58) and twelfth in the 200-meter breaststroke (2:13.26).^[2][3]

At the 2012 FINA Istanbul Short Course World Championships, his first major international competition, Cordes won a team gold medal and an individual bronze medal. The gold medal came his way in the 4 × 100 m medley relay, swimming the breaststroke leg in 57.15 (the fastest in the field). In the 100 m breaststroke, Cordes won a bronze medal with a time of 57.83.

2013

At the 2013 U.S. Summer Nationals, Cordes finished first in the 100- and 200-meter breaststroke, and finished second behind University of Arizona teammate Kevin Steel in the 50-meter breaststroke. Cordes qualified to compete in the individual 50-, 100- and 200-meter breaststroke, and the 4×100-meter medley relay at the 2013 World Aquatics Championships.

At the 2013 World Aquatics Championships, Cordes competed in three individual events and the 4x100-meter medley relay. In his first event, the 100-meter breaststroke, Cordes got a personal best time of 59.78 in the semifinal. In the finals however, he faded away and touched 7th with a time of 1:00.02.^[4] In the 50-meter breaststroke, Cordes did not advance past the prelims, posting a time of 27.69 and finishing 21st overall.^[5] In his final individual event, the 200-meter breaststroke, Cordes did not advance past the semifinals, finishing with a time of 2:10.03.^[6] In the 4x100-meter medley relay, Cordes, as the breaststroke leg, was responsible for disqualifying the United States by diving 0.04 of a second early.^[7]

2014

At the 2014 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, Cordes won gold as a member of the 4x100-meter medley relay with the team finishing with a time of 3:29.94. Swimming the breaststroke leg, Cordes recorded a split of 58.64. In the 100-meter breaststroke, Cordes was disqualified for taking off his goggles midway through the race after they filled with water. In the 200-meter breaststroke, Cordes scratched from the final after posting a time of 2:10.01 in the heats in order to concentrate on the medley relay.

2015

In preparation for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials, Cordes moved to Singapore to train with former Bolles swimming head coach, Sergio López.

2016

At the 2016 US Olympic Swimming Trials, Cordes placed first in the 100m breaststroke, qualifying him for the Olympic Team.^[8] Subsequently, at the 2016 Summer Olympics, he placed 4th in the 100-meter breaststroke with a time of 59.22, and 8th in the 200-meter breaststroke with a time of 2:08.34.^[9][10]

Personal bests

As of July 31, 2017

Long course

Event	Time	Meet	Date	Note(s)
50 m breaststroke	26.76	2015 World Championships	August 4, 2015	Former AM
100 m breaststroke	58.64	2017 World Championships	July 23, 2017	Former AM
200 m breaststroke	2:07.41	2017 USA Nationals	June 28, 2017

Short course

Event	Time	Meet	Date	Note(s)
100 m breaststroke	56.88	2013 Duel in the Pool	December 21, 2013	Former AM
200 m breaststroke	2:02.38	2013 Duel in the Pool	December 20, 2013	Former AM

Personal life

Cordes has two siblings, Caroline and Jack. His father Bill played football for the University of Arizona. His sister Caroline played volleyball for the University of Arizona.^[11] His brother Jack played basketball for Hillsdale College.^[12]

See also

• List of University of Arizona people
• Arizona Wildcats

References

1. Chris Hine (August 7, 2016). "Naperville's Kevin Cordes finishes 4th in 100-meter breaststroke". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved August 8, 2016.
2. "2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials (swimming) – Men's 100 metre breaststroke (final)". Omega Timing. Archived from the original on May 23, 2013. Retrieved December 12, 2012.
3. "2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials (swimming) – Men's 200 metre breaststroke (semi-finals)". Omega Timing. Archived from the original on May 22, 2013. Retrieved December 12, 2012.
4. "15th FINA World Championships – Men's 100m Breaststroke (final)". Omega Timing. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
5. "15th FINA World Championships – Men's 50m Breaststroke (heats)". Omega Timing. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
6. "15th FINA World Championships – Men's 200m Breaststroke (semifinals)". Omega Timing. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
7. "15th FINA World Championships – Men's 4x100m Medley Relay (final)". Omega Timing. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
8. "OMEGA Sports Live Timekeeping, Official Olympics Games Timekeeper". Archived from the original on March 10, 2018. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
9. "Kevin Cordes Bio".
10. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Kevin Cordes". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on December 4, 2016.
11. University of Arizona Athletics. 2017 Beach Volleyball Roster. Caroline Cordes. Retrieved February 25, 2019
12. Hillsdale College Chargers. Men's basketball. Jack Cordes. Retrieved February 25, 2019

External links

• Kevin Cordes at World Aquatics
• Kevin Cordes at the International Swimming League
• Kevin Cordes at USA Swimming (archived October 21, 2021)
• Kevin Cordes at Team USA (archive October 24, 2022)
• Kevin Cordes at Olympics.com
• Kevin Cordes at Olympic.org (archived)
• Kevin Cordes at Olympedia (archive)
• Kevin Cordes – University of Arizona athlete profile at ArizonaWildcats.com