Shirley Babashoff

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Medal record
Competitor for United States
Women's Swimming
Olympic Games
Gold	1972 Munich	4x100m Freestyle
Silver	1972 Munich	100m Freestyle
Silver	1972 Munich	200m Freestyle
Gold	1976 Montreal	4x100m Freestyle
Silver	1976 Montreal	200m Freestyle
Silver	1976 Montreal	400m Freestyle
Silver	1976 Montreal	800m Freestyle
Silver	1976 Montreal	4x100m Medley
World Championships (LC)
Silver	1973 Belgrad	100m Freestyle
Silver	1973 Belgrad	200m Freestyle
Silver	1973 Belgrad	4x100m Freestyle
Silver	1973 Belgrad	4x100m Medley {{MedalGold\|[[1975 World Aquatics Championships\|1975 California\|200m Freestyle}}
Gold	1975 Cali	400m Freestyle
Silver	1975 Cali	100m Freestyle
Bronze	1975 Cali	800m Freestyle

Shirley F. Babashoff (born January 31, 1957 in Whittier, California) is a former swimmer from the United States, who set six world records and earned a total of eight Olympic medals in her career. She also won a gold medal in the 400 meter freestyle relay in both the 1972 and 1976 Olympics, and won the 1975 World Championship in both the 200 and 400 meter freestyle.

At the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, she took a silver medal in four events as the competition was dominated by the East German swimmers. Although Babashoff never won an individual gold medal in Olympic competition, she is still regarded as one of the top swimmers in history. Her time in winning the silver medal in the 400 meter freestyle at the 1976 Olympics would have defeated Don Schollander for the gold medal twelve years earlier at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo. In 1982 she was inducted in the International Swimming Hall of Fame.

Babashoff was occasionally referred to as "Surly Shirley" and described as a "sore loser" by the media because of her public accusations of cheating by the East German swimmers although the East Germans were later proven to have used performance enhancing drugs to win gold medals. One hundred seventy-six former East German (DDR) athletes were financially compensated for damages through Germany's Olympic Committee for the systematic doping of DDR athletes from 1973 through 1989, although it is believed that over 10,000 athletes were involved.

After her Olympic career ended, Babashoff coached swimming, had a son in 1986, whom she raised alone, and became Letter Carrier for United States Postal Service in Orange County, California.

On April 30, 2005 Shirley Babashoff received the Olympic Order, the highest award of the Olympic Movement, during the Inaugural Olympic Assembly luncheon. International Olympic Committee members Bob Ctvrtlik, Anita DeFrantz, and Jim Easton presented the award. The IOC established the Olympic Order in 1974 to honor individuals who have illustrated the Olympic Ideals through their actions, have achieved remarkable merit in the sporting world, or have rendered outstanding services to the Olympic cause, either through their own personal achievements or their contributions to the development of sport.

Her brother Jack Babashoff was also an Olympic swimmer.