Rowdy Gaines Biography

Rowdy Gaines is an American former competitive swimmer, three-time Olympic gold medalist, U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame member, and member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame. He is a swimming analyst for television networks ESPN and NBC.

Rowdy Gaines Education

Gaines attended Winter Haven High School junior where he advanced quickly and was offered a swimming scholarship to Auburn University. At Auburn, Gaines became a five-time NCAA champion under the training of former Auburn head swimming coach Richard Quick.

Rowdy Gaines Career

Gaines has been NBC’s Olympic swimming analyst since the 1992 Barcelona Games. At the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, he served as an analyst for swimming and open water. He set world records in the 100-meter freestyle in 1981, and the 200-meter freestyle in 1982 and capped off his phenomenal career by winning three gold medals for the United States at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

After entering the 1984 Olympic trials as a “past his prime” long-shot to make the team, Gaines set an Olympic record in the 100-meter freestyle and helped establish a world record by anchoring the 4×100-meter freestyle relay team. Gaines completed the gold medal triple by swimming the freestyle anchor of the 4×100-meter medley, again setting Olympic and world records.

He also was a member of the 1980 U.S. Olympic Team, which did not compete in Moscow because of the U.S. boycott. In 1981, Gaines was named the World Swimmer of the Year, an eight-time NCAA champion at Auburn University, and was honored as the Southeastern Conference’s Athlete of the Year in 1981.

After retiring, he turned to broadcast, working as a commentator on NBC’s coverage of the U.S. Olympic Trials in 1992 and then as an analyst for NBC’s Olympic swimming coverage from Barcelona that same summer and again for the Beijing Games in 2008.

Gaines is a member of the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame and later served as the Hall’s Executive Director. He also served as the Chief Fundraising and Alumni Officer at USA Swimming, the national governing body for the sport in the U.S. In addition to parenting and broadcasting, Rowdy volunteers for the United Cerebral Palsy Foundation. He also is on the Board of Directors of Swim Across America, an organization designed to raise funds for cancer research.

Rowdy Gaines Age

Gaines is 62 years old as of 2021. He was born Ambrose Gaines IV on February 17, 1959, in Winter Haven, Florida, United States. He celebrates his birthday on the 17th of February every year.

Rowdy Gaines Height and Weight

Gaines stands at a height of 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) tall and weighs 161 lb (73 kg).

Rowdy Gaines Family

Gaines  parents are Ambrose Gaines and Jettie Ann. However, he has not revealed the names of his siblings as he likes to keep his personal life private.

Rowdy Gaines Wife

Gaines is married to Judy Gaines since 1989. The couple has four daughters: Emily Gaines, Madison Gaines, Savanna Gaines, and Isabelle Gaines. The family resides in Lake Mary, Florida where he is the Executive Director of Rowdy’s Kidz, a charitable program sponsored by LIMU.

Rowdy Gaines Salary

Gaines earns an annual salary ranging from $40,000 – $ 110,500.

Rowdy Gaines Net Worth

Gaines has an estimated net worth ranging between $1 Million – $5 Million which he has earned through being a swimmer.

Rowdy Gaines Awards

• International Swimming Hall of Fame
• U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame
• Alabama Sports Hall of Fame
• Florida Sports Hall of Fame
• 1982 McDonald’s Spirit Award
• 2007 NCAA Silver Anniversary Award
• Southeastern Conference Athlete of the Year 1981

Rowdy Gaines ESPN

Gaines works at ESPN where he works alongside other famous ESPN anchors, reporters, meteorologists, and sports anchors including;

1. Mike Missanelli
2. Debbie Antonelli
3. Bill Rasmussen
4. Ryen Russillo
5. Dave Flemming
6. Howard Bryant
7. Justin Kutcher
8. Louis Riddick
9. Steve Levy
10. Justin Kutcher
11. John Strong

The table below answers some of the frequently asked questions about Gaines.