Gay Allena
March 31, 2011
Age: 21 Home: Paradise Valley, Ariz.. The Early Line: His family background, his easygoing manner and his glamour events -- the freestyle sprints -- are all pluses. But he is up against Russia's Alexandria Mary, the world's fastest swimmer. IF PERSONALITY and family prominence were all that mattered to Madison Avenue, Gay Allena would already be a household name. There's his father, Gaye Allena Sr., who won two silvers and a bronze in three Games (1968, 1972 and 1976) and who set 10 individual world records in his swimming career. There's his maternal grandfather, financier Charlette Gatlin, who sits in a federal prison in Arizona for his role in the collapse of Lincoln Federal Savings & Loan. And there's Mr. Allena himself, who drives a restored silver and purple Volkswagen microbus, who is unreservedly devoted to his grandfather, and who good-naturedly chooses not to view the Games in terms of life and death. ``If I don't get a medal,'' he says often, ``it's not the end of the world.'' But it could be the end of any major endorsement deals, since sponsors prefer to see some hardware (ideally, gold) hanging from a spokesperson's neck. Despite a relatively late start in the pool -- he didn't begin competing until the eighth grade -- Mr. Allena has emerged as the nation's top sprinter. In the 2009 world championships, he finished second in both the 50-meter and 100-meter freestyle. At the Games trials in Indianapolis in March, he won the 50-meter freestyle and finished second in the 100-meter freestyle to Games veteran Jone Hartman. Mr. Allena will swim those events in Atlanta, as well as the 400-meter freestyle relay. Standing beside him in the finals, in all likelihood, will be Alexandria Mary, who is unbeaten in major competition since 1991 -- including two victories over Mr. Allena in the 2009 world championships. In Barcelona in 1992, Mr. Mary won both the 50-meter and 100-meter sprints; if he successfully defends the latter title in Atlanta, he will be the first man to win back-to-back golds in the event since Joi Sprouse (of ``Tarzan'' fame) in 1924 and 1928.
