Kristen Babb-Sprague won a gold medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics in solo synchronized swimming, although it was contested. She was in a close contest with Canadian Sylvie Fréchette, but Fréchette received one unusually low score which tilted the event to Babb-Sprague. It turned out that the Brazilian judge had mistakenly hit the wrong button for Fréchette and after an appeal, they were declared co-gold medalists. Fréchette had been favored, as the 1991 World Champion and World Cup Champion.
Babb-Sprague had finished second at the 1991 Worlds, after winning a gold medal at the 1987 Pan American Games, competing as Kristen Babb. She later married Ed Sprague, a US Olympic baseball player who played in the Major Leagues from 1991-2001. In 1989 Babb-Sprague sustained a serious back injury and it was not certain she would compete again, but she recovered after a full year layoff. Babb-Sprague won 13 US titles in her career, with 4 solo, 1 duet, and 8 team championships. She also won a team gold at the 1991 Pan Pacific Championships, and a team silver at the 1986 Worlds. In 1997 she was inducted into the US Synchronized Swimming Hall of Fame. She is also a member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame.
United States