Anthony Ervin

Anthony Ervin - Olympic Swimmer

Superclean was proud to be part of this comeback project.

Anthony Ervin is an olympic swimmer with several astonishing achievements. In the 2000 Olympics, he won an individual gold in the 50m freestyle and a silver with the USA relay team. He became the first American swimming medalist of African-American descent.

He famously disappeared from swimming (only to auction off his gold medal to benefit tsunami victims) and lived a punk rock life in NYC. He reappeared in the SF Bay Area as my kids' swim coach and started working out with the Cal team.

When he placed top 3 at the Austin Grand Prix, he began his Olympic comeback for the 2012 Olympics (and this website was born.)

He went on to qualify for the USA team (at age 31) and made it to the championship heat of the 50m free (3rd in prelims) but got a bad start and wound up 5th. No medal!

He kept at it and went on the world circuit, occasionally dropping back into Laney Pool to show the Oakland kids his booty (LOTS of medals.) And he KEPT ON swimming.... and though now through his middle 30's and not the biggest / youngest kid on the block (for a sprinter), he made it back onto Team USA.

So a the Rio Olympics -- while everyone was focused on the great stories with Michael Phelps and Katy Ledecki and those other guys who got in trouble with the Brazilian authorities (made some shit up about an armed robber?)... Anthony Ervin -- almost unnoticed -- earned his way back to the championship heat in one of the outside lanes AND WON THE PHREAKIN' THING. The ultimate swimming sprint. The dragon race. 16 years after he did it the first time.

This is what is known as MIND OVER MATTER. Learn from it folks!

So if you are an athlete plotting your own fantastic comeback or championship, please contact Superclean because we live for this stuff.

Testimonial - Anthony Ervin

When I needed a website, I had a bunch of great ideas but feared some kind of hideous and bloated monstrosity would result from my vision. Jack at supercleanweb took my ideas and allayed all my fears. The site is smooth, and true to their namesake, superclean!

Anthony Ervin - Swimmer, Olympic Gold Medalist