HR0180 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0180 LRB104 12702 LAW 23582 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate Olivia Smoliga on her accomplishments as a two-time Olympian and on the creation of In Depth Swim Academy; and

WHEREAS, Olivia Smoliga was born to Tom and Ela Smoliga on October 12, 1994; in her youth, she swam for the Glenview Titan Aquatic Club; she attended Glenbrook South High School; during her senior year at the Illinois High School Association State Championships in November 2012, she broke the national high school records in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 51.43 and the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 21.99, becoming the first high school female to break 22 seconds; she then attended the University of Georgia, where she swam on the Georgia Bulldogs swimming and diving team for coach Jack Bauerle and played an integral role in the team achieving two NCAA titles; and

WHEREAS, Olivia Smoliga's success continued at the 2012 FINA Short Course World Championships, where she won a total of four medals, which included two gold, one silver, and one bronze; she proceeded to win gold in the 50-yard freestyle and bronze in the 400-yard medley relay at the 2013 NCAA Women's Division I Swimming and Diving Championships; despite battling mononucleosis, she qualified for the 2015 Pan American Games, where she won the silver in the 100-meter backstroke with a time of 1:00.06, her third fastest time ever; and

WHEREAS, Olivia Smoliga qualified for the Olympics by winning the 100-meter backstroke with a time of 59.02, beating the prior two gold medalists and securing her spot on Team USA for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; while there, she finished sixth in the individual 100-meter backstroke with a time of 58.95, a personal best; she also swam on the prelims relay of the 4×100-meter medley relay, and she won a gold medal when the finals lineup of Kathleen Baker, Lilly King, Dana Vollmer, and Simone Manuel achieved first, securing her first of many Olympic medals; and

WHEREAS, Olivia Smoliga won a record eight gold medals while competing at the 2018 World Championships in Hangzhou, China, setting a new Guinness World Record for the "most number of gold medals won at a single FINA World Championships" and going eight-for-eight at the championships, winning the gold medal in every event she raced; she then won her first individual long course world medal at the 2019 World Aquatics Championships in Gwangju, South Korea, achieving third in a very tight 100 back field with a time of 58.91; she followed this achievement by winning her first long course title in the 50 back, touching the wall first in a time of 27.33, which also broke her own American record; and

WHEREAS, Olivia Smoliga, after qualifying for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, once again attended as a member of Team USA, where she swam as the lead-off leg during the prelims of the 4x100 Freestyle Relay, splitting a time of a 54.06 and securing a bronze medal in the finals; that same year, she was also a member of the championship-winning Cali Condors team, previously part of the inaugural International Swimming League, and she broke her own American records in the 50-meter backstroke and 100-meter backstroke; and

WHEREAS, Olivia Smoliga, to help raise the next generation of American swimmers and help them achieve their own Olympic dreams, has started In Depth Swim Academy; through this new venture, she is determined not only to help young swimmers attain athletic greatness but also personal growth and empowerment by leading swimming clinics and classroom sessions designed to encompass every aspect of the athlete's journey; through the academy, she guides students in workshops to help them visualize and accomplish their goals while providing high-level training, filming, and stroke evaluation; she hopes to create a community of athletes determined to pursue their dreams in a setting that encourages their growth; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Olivia Smoliga on her accomplishments as a two-time Olympian and on establishing In Depth Swim Academy to assist other Americans in achieving their Olympic dreams, and we wish her continued success in her future endeavors; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Olivia Smoliga as an expression of our esteem and respect.