It’s all about the pink goggles!
American swimmer Lydia Jacoby was the toast of the Tokyo Olympics during primetime TV coverage stateside on Monday night after capturing the gold medal in the 100-meter breaststroke earlier in the day. And it’s what she was wearing to do it that has made this a funny, heartwarming story of triumph!
Former Olympic swimmer Jessica Hardy — who knows a thing or two about medals, having won a pair at the 2012 Olympic Games in London — clued the world into Jacoby’s infamous pink goggles in a tweet on Monday afternoon. As Hardy explained, she actually gave the young Olympian the eyewear way back in 2012!!
The 17-year-old phenom had been swimming at her home pool in Alaska when Hardy came through for an event and a clinic for swimmers, and, well, the rest is history! Hardy explained so while encouraging the public to get on “Pink goggle watch” ahead of Jacoby’s medal competition in the 100-meter breaststroke (below):
Amazing!
Five years later, Jacoby is competing in the top events in the world in those same pink goggles!
Oh, and did we mention, five years later, JACOBY IS A WORLD CHAMPION!!!
The 17-year-old Alaskan got it done on Monday night, touching the wall first and winning gold:
AMAZING!
And it was even cooler to see the side-by-side view of all of her family, friends, and school classmates back home in Alaska cheering her on during the race, as well:
Wow!
It was a bit of an upset win, too!
Jacoby finished ahead fellow Team USA swimmer Lilly King, who won gold in the breaststroke at the 2016 Olympic Games and was the favorite to win again this year; King finished third and won the bronze medal in this race.
Literally overnight, the teen became the talk of the Olympics, as Twitter users from all over the world celebrated her amazing accomplishments and her down-home rooting party up in Alaska (below):
“Watching Lydia Jacoby’s friends and family react to her winning Olympic Gold in the Women’s 100 Breaststroke for Team USA is AWESOME.”
“The footage of the Seward, Alaska high school watching Lydia Jacoby’s gold medal swim is my favorite moment of the Olympics so far.”
“A 17-year-old? From Alaska? Where there’s only one Olympic-sized pool? That’s why we come to the Olympics, for Lydia Jacoby.”
“The Alaskan watch party for Lydia Jacoby… This is how you supposed to rep your friends!”
Awww! Love it!
What do U think of Alaska’s unlikely winner, Perezcious readers?! And those sweet, special pink goggles?? So fun! That’s what the Olympics is all about!
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