Annie Lazor is a competitive swimmer that represents the United States internationally. Lazor is a 2021 Olympian in the 200 Breast.
College Swimming
Ohio State/Auburn
2012-2014
Lazor competed for Ohio State during her freshman season, which was highlighted by 8th place finish in the 200 breaststroke at the 2013 Big 10 Championships. After her freshman season, Lazor transferred to Auburn. In her sophomore season (first season at Auburn), Lazor earned NCAA “B” cuts in the 100 breast and 200 IM.
2014-2015
In her junior season, Lazor competed at her first NCAA Championships, where she earned 2 All-America honors. She swam the 2nd leg of the 400 medley relay that took 14th overall, and touched for 10th in the 200 breaststroke in a lifetime best of 2:08.41. She also finished 20th in the 100 breast with a 1:00.14.
2015-2016
Lazor saved the best for last, as her senior year brought even more lifetime bests. At the 2016 NCAA’s, Lazor scored in both breaststroke events, dipping under 1:00 (59.95) to touch for 13th in the 100 breast and edging a 2:08.35 in the 200, also finishing in 13th.
National/International Competition
2015 Pan American Games
After qualifying to swim at the Pan Am games for USA, Lazor notched a 3rd place finish in the 200 breast (2:26.23), marking her first major international medal.
2016 Olympic Trials/Parting with Swimming
At the 2016 Olympic Trials in Omaha, following her senior year of college, Lazor swam the 100 and 200 breaststroke, finishing 10th in the 100 (1:08.00) and 7th in the 200 (2:27.48). Following that meet, not the performance Annie had hoped for, Lazor said she felt a bit betrayed by the sport, and slowly waned off of swimming.
During that time, Lazor finished school at Auburn, and took an administrative position at Cal under men’s head swimming coach and former Auburn coach, Dave Durden. While working for Durden, Lazor decided that if there was any part of her that wanted to come back to swimming, she should. And so she did.
At first, she followed her primary coach from Auburn (John Hargis) to his new head coaching role at Pitt. After about 9 months, they mutually decided it might be better for Annie to train with a group of post grads. Hargis was good friends with Mike Westphal at Indiana, so Lazor packed up and moved to Bloomington.
2018 Comeback
After moving to Bloomington in the spring of 2018, Lazor competed at the 2018 nationals just months later. On the 2nd day of competition, she swam the 200 breaststroke. Lazor touched in 8th at the 100 in 1:10.50, but had a stellar back-half to pass over half the field and touch for 3rd in 2:24.42, a massive personal best which qualified her to represent the US at her 2nd Pan American Games.
That swim also put Lazor on the US National team, which made her eligible for the 2018 Short Course World Championships.
2018 Short Course World Championships
In Hangzhou, Lazor took her first major international victory, touching first in the 200 breast in a time of 2:18.32.
2019 Season of “Age Group” Drops
After her world title in Hangzhou, Lazor’s long course season took off. Attending the Pro Series stop’s in Knoxville (January), Des Moines (March), Richmond (April), and Bloomington (May), it’s fair to say Lazor went on a tear.
**denotes new lifetime best
Lazor’s Best Breaststroke Times Before Knoxville
- 50: 32.23
- 100: 1:07.89
- 200: 2:24.42
Times From Knoxville
- 50: 31.12**
- 100: 1:06.89**
- 200: 2:23.51**
Times From Des Moines
- 50: 30.96**
- 100: 1:06.66**
- 200: 2:22.99**
Times From Richmond
- 50: 31.14
- 100: 1:06.72**
- 200: 2:23.22
Times From Bloomington
- 50: 31.01
- 100: 1:06.03**
- 200: 2:20.77** (World #1 Time, 9th Fastest Performer All-Time, 2nd Fastest American All-Time)
ISL – LA Current
On June 18, 2019, Annie Lazor was announced as a member of the LA Current ISL team, headed by GM Lenny Krayzelburg.
2019 Pan American Games (Lima, Peru)
Lazor continued her momentum in 2019 in Lima. Lazor touched for gold in both the 100 and 200 breast, registering times of 1:06.94 and 2:21.40, the latter of which was a Games record.
Lazor also helped team USA to a victory in the 4×100 medley relay, splitting 1:06.35.
2021 Olympic Trials
In her first event of the meet, the 100 breast, Lazor easily qualified for the final, posting a PB of 1:05.37 in the semi-finals to head into the final 2nd behind her training partner, Lilly King. In the final, Lazor finished 3rd behind King and Lydia Jacoby, coming close to making her first Olympic team but falling just short.
Lazor bounced back in the 200 breast, the event she had ranked #1 in the world in 2 years prior. After cruising through prelims and semis, she took a dramatic win in the final, passing King on the 3rd 50 and never looking back. Lazor finished in 2:21.07 with King right behind her for 2nd, making it a sweep for IU in the event and netting Lazor her first Olympic qualification.
2020 Olympic Games
Lazor made the most of her lone individual event in Tokyo, moving through the prelims and semis to make the final. In the final, Lazor touched for 3rd in 2:20.84, just off her personal best and earning Olympic bronze.
