Mark Kwok (swimmer)
Mark Kwok Kin-ming (; born 20 June 1977) is a former swimmer for Hong Kong, who specialized in middle-distance freestyle but also competed in butterfly and individual medley. He is a two-time Olympian (1996 and 2000), and a bronze medalist at the 1998 Asian Games in Bangkok, Thailand. He also holds numerous Hong Kong records in 200, 400, and 800 m freestyle, and retains a dual resident status to compete internationally for his father's homeland. While studying in the United States, Kwok has competed for the USC Trojans, and has received four All-American honors at the NCAA Men's Swimming and Diving Championships in four consecutive seasons. Early years Kwok was born in Laguna Hills, California from a Hong Kong father and an American mother, giving him distinct, blond-haired and blue-eyed features, and a dual residential status. He started swimming at the age of four, when his mother sent him in a small local club: "I loved it. I never wanted to get out of the water, whether it was in the pool or at the beach. I guess I took to the water right away." During his early childhood Kwok learned the essentials of competitive swimming, and then moved on to South Coast Aquatics, where the workouts and skills became more challenging for him. After South Coast Aquatics ceased operations, Kwok joined numerous small clubs until he finally settled with the Mission Viejo Nadadores under head coach Terry Stoddard. Kwok attended Laguna Hills High School, where he swam for the swimming team, and achieved senior national marks in the 200 and 400 m individual medley, and in the long-distance freestyle (400 and 1500 m). He also earned the Laguna Hills High Academic Achievement Award and U.S. Swimming Scholastic All-American Award for his continuous success in the sport, received all-league honors, and became one of the school's top students in an academic roll with a 4.02 grade-point average. Career College career After graduating from Laguna Hills High School in 1995, Kwok accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, where he played for the USC Trojans swimming and diving team under head coach Mark Schubert. While swimming for the Trojans, he received four All-American honors in the 400-yard freestyle, and in the 4×200-yard freestyle relay. In his junior season, Kwok won the 200-yard freestyle (1:37.53), the 500-yard freestyle (4:25.09) and the 400-yard individual medley (3:55.26) at a dual college meet in Santa Barbara, California; all of his triumphs in each event were considered an NCAA mark. Kwok also competed for four consecutive season at the NCAA Men's Swimming and Diving Championships before he graduated from the University with a bachelor's degree in business administration in 1999. International career A genuine product of a paternal heritage, Kwok retained an independent athletic status and held his family dual residency to compete internationally for Hong Kong in swimming. Kwok's major international debut came as a 19-year-old at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. There, he failed to reach