Lars Jorgensen

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Lars Jorgensen
Personal information
Full nameLars Ploug Jorgensen
National teamUnited States
Born (1970-09-01) September 1, 1970 (age 53)
Height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight176 lb (80 kg)
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesFreestyle
College teamUniversity of Tennessee
Medal record
Men's swimming
Representing the United States
Pan Pacific Games
Silver medal – second place 1989 Tokyo 1500 m freestyle
Pan American Games
Silver medal – second place 1987 Indianapolis 1500m freestyle

Lars Ploug Jorgensen (born September 1, 1970) is an American former competitive swimmer who represented the United States at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea.[1] Jorgensen competed in the preliminary heats of the men's 1,500-meter freestyle, and finished with the twenty-third-best time overall (15:39.51).[1][2]

Jorgensen is the former head coach of the swimming team for the University of Kentucky. [3] He also previously coached at the University of Toledo.[4]

He is the brother of fellow Olympic swimmer Dan Jorgensen.[1]

In 1995 he set the swim course record with 46:44 for that leg of the Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. [5] His swim record held until 2018, when Jan Sibbersen set the new fastest swim time in 46:29. [6] Lars Jorgensen's swim time of 46:41 from 1998 does not count as valid course record as he did not finish the Ironman World Championship that year. [7]

In April 2024, a Title IX sexual violence lawsuit was filed against Jorgensen which stated that he would "prey on, sexually harass, and commit horrific sexual assaults and violent rapes against young female coaches and collegiate athletes who were reliant on him" during his time as swim coach at the University of Kentucky between 2013 and 2023, and also accused the University of "complicity."[4][8] In addition to Jorgensen, former coach Gary Conelly, athletics director Mitch Barnhart and the university itself were named in the lawsuit as well.[8] Emails from June 2012 revealed that Mark Howard, a former assistant swimming coach at the University of Toledo, informed both Barnhart and Conelly that Jorgensen was accused of having a sexual relationship with a female student he coached.[4] Conelly, who at the time served as the University of Kentucky head swim coach, and Barnhart would hire Jorgensen nonetheless.[4] Prior to the 2024 lawsuit, the University of Toledo allegation was also previously made public in 2014, when a softball coach suing the University of Toledo for sex discrimination stated Jorgensen "had a long term romantic relationship with a player. The University hired this player as an assistant coach and eventually promoted her to head coach, passing over top candidates for this position."[9][4]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Athletes, Lars Jorgensen. Retrieved November 10, 2012.
  2. ^ Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Swimming at the 1988 Seoul Summer Games, Men's 1,500 metres Freestyle. Retrieved November 10, 2012.
  3. ^ "Lars Jorgenson". UKAthletics. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
  4. ^ a b c d e Strang, Katie (2024-04-12). "Kentucky accused of 'complicity' as former swim coach allegedly committed sexual violence". The Athletic.
  5. ^ http://m.ironman.com/assets/files/results/worldchampionship/1995.pdf Archived 2019-03-02 at the Wayback Machine 1995 official Ironman World Championship Results
  6. ^ http://eu.ironman.com/triathlon/events/americas/ironman/world-championship/results.aspx?y=2018&rd=20181013&race=worldchampionship&bidid=1317&detail=1 2018 official Ironman World Championship Results
  7. ^ http://m.ironman.com/assets/files/results/worldchampionship/1998.pdf Archived 2019-03-02 at the Wayback Machine 1998 official Ironman World Championship Results
  8. ^ a b Black, Ryan (April 13, 2024). "Ex-Kentucky swim coach Lars Jorgensen accused of rape, sexual assault in lawsuit". Louisville Courier Journal. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
  9. ^ Brown, Doug (October 22, 2014). "Former Toledo Softball Coach Sues School For Discrimination, Calls Out Other Coaches and Administrator For Relationships With Students And Subordinates". Scene. Retrieved April 16, 2024.


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