Education
Auburn University.
Auburn University.
Kolukanova made her official debut at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, where she competed in the women"s 50 m freestyle. She reached the semifinals by winning the swimoff against Mette Jacobsen of Denmark and Ana Belén Palomo of Spain. She set a new Estonian record in two consecutive swims, first in the prelims (2596) and then in the three-person swimoff a few hours later.
Followed by an evening session, Kolukanova finished her semifinal run with a time of 26.03, just seven hundredths of a second (007) outside her record.
At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Kolukanova qualified for the women"s 100 m freestyle, by clearing a FINA standard entry time of 56.10 at the European Championships in Madrid, Spain. She challenged seven other swimmers in heat four, including her college teammate Eileen Coparropa of Panama.
She rounded out the field to last place by three tenths of a second (030) behind Israel"s Anna Gostomelsky in 57.45. Kolukanova failed to advance into the semifinals, as she placed thirty-seventh overall in the prelims.
At the FINA World Championships in Montreal, Canada, Kolukanova placed eighth in the 50 m freestyle (2556), and fourteenth in the 100 m freestyle (5581, a new Estonian record).
She is a two-time Olympian, a 19-time All-American champion, and a member of the Securities and Exchange Commission Academic Honor Roll. Earlier in the semifinals, she posted a time of 25.26 to earn a last coveted spot for the top 8 final in the 50 m freestyle, adding another Estonian record to her laundry list of accomplishments.
Kolukanova is a former member of the swimming team for Auburn Tigers under head coach David Marsh, and a psychology graduate at Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama.
