Lia Neal Bio

Date of Birth: February 13, 1995

Sport: Swimming

Height: 5-10

DOB: 2/13/1995

Birthplace: Brooklyn, N.Y.

Hometown: Brooklyn, N.Y.

Raised in the Fort Greene section of Brooklyn, by her parents Rome and Siu Neal, who are of African-American and Chinese-American descent. She has three older brothers
Lia is fluent in English and Cantonese. Knows conversational Mandarin

Career Highlights Include:

2012 Olympic Games: Bronze in 4x100m Freestyle Relay with a time of 3:34.24
Was the first woman of Black descent to swim an Olympic final for the US
2016 Olympic Games: Silver in 4x100m Freestyle Relay
Member of the 2017 NCAA championship team
Member of the 2017 Pac-12 championship team
Three-time Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention (2015, 2016, 2017)
All-America (19), National Championships (6)
Finished career with five school records
- 200 free relay (1:25.91)
- 400 free (3:07.61)
- 800 free (6:45.91)
- 200 medley relay (1:34.15)
- 400 medley relay (3:26.14)
Finished career ranked second all-time at Stanford in the 50 free (21.65)
Finished career ranked second all-time at Stanford in the 100 free (46.76)
Finished career ranked third all-time at Stanford in the 200 free (1:42.50)
Finished career with Stanford pool records in 200 free relay (1:29.83) and 400 free relay (3:15.05)
CSCAA Scholar All-America (2015)
2011 World Junior Championships: Gold in 100m Freestyle, Silver in 50m Freestyle.
2010 Junior Pan Pacific Championships: Gold in 4x100m Freestyle Relay, Gold in 800m Freestyle Relay, Gold in 400m Medley Relay, Silver in 100m Freestyle, and Bronze in 50m Freestyle.
2008 Olympic Trials participant having qualified by breaking the 11-12 age-group record in the 100m Freestyle.

Swimming History

Interesting Facts