Jill Savery (USA)
Honor Synchronized / Artistic Swimmer (2008)
The information on this page was written the year of their induction.
FOR THE RECORD: 1996 OLYMPIC GAMES: gold (team); 1991 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP: gold (team); 1994 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP: gold (team); 1991, 1993, 1995 FINA WORLD CUP: gold (team); 1991 ROME OPEN: gold (team); 1992, 1993 SWISS OPEN: gold (team): 1995 PAN AMERICAN GAMES: gold (team); 1994 FRENCH OPEN: gold (team); 1993 CHINA OPEN: silver (solo); 1991 PAN PACIFIC CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold (team); U.S. NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold (team – 1991, 1992), silver (team – 1993, 1994, 1995), bronze (duet – 1991, 1992, 1994 and solo – 1993, 1994); 1990 American Cup (Jr.): gold (solo); USOC Athletes Advisory Council; 1998 Nagano Olympic Games: Athlete’s Liaison; 1994 National College Championships: gold (solo, duet, trio);
She grew up in Concord, California, as an all-around athlete in gymnastics, swimming, diving, baseball and ballet. But, by the age of 10, she decided where to put her energy – synchronized swimming. Hall of Fame Coach Gail Emery become her mentor and by the time she was 16, she was the Junior World Team Champion and the soon-to-follow American Cup Four – solo, duet and team champion.
Jill Savery
As her skills became more refined, her successes became more impressive. Between 1991 and 1995, she won gold medals in the team event at every major international competition – the Rome Open, the Swiss Open, the French Open, the Pan Pacific Games and the World Cup Competitions but, Jill Savery’s career highlight came at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games when she won synchronized swimming’s first ever gold medal in the team event in Olympic Games history. Her 10 years on the U.S. National team, many as Team Captain, helped to elevate the U.S. synchronized swimming dominance in the team event during that era. Jill became a two time World Championship gold medalist, an eight-time world champion and the only U.S. swimmer to compete in all of the international team events.
Jill was an individual high point champion at the NCAA National Championships for Cal – Berkeley. She served on the USOC Athletes Advisory Board and was the athletes liaison at the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympic Games.