"Honor Citizen" by the Costa Rican Congress in 1996 ; First Latin American woman to win an Olympic swimming gold medal; Costa Rican Sportswoman of the Year in 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2000; Named Best Latin American Athlete in 1995, 1996, and 1997 by the Agencia Prensa Latina Named 1997 World Swimmer of the Year by Swimming World Magazine; and Declared Costa Rica's Athlete of the Century in 1999. Personal Claudia’s parents are both German, but they moved to Nicaragua before starting a family. Claudia and her sister Silvia were both born in Managua, Nicaragua, but moved shortly after Claudia’s birth in 1972. Political tensions were rising and after an earthquake that shook the city, the family decided it would be safer to move to Costa Rica. She, her sister Silvia, and their mother are not related to Marlene Ahrens, another Olympic athlete and medalist and another Latin American of German descent. Claudia graduated in Business Administration from the Universidad Internacional de las Américas, San José, Costa Rica, in 1998. Poll became a mother for the first time on August 8, 2007. Her daughter's name is Cecilia. Claudia's older sister Silvia Poll was also a competitive swimmer who won a silver medal in 1988, Costa Rica's first ever Olympic medal. See also List of doping cases in sport World record progression 200 metres freestyle World record progression 400 metres freestyle References 1972 births Living people Costa Rican female swimmers Costa Rican female freestyle swimmers Sportspeople from Managua Olympic swimmers of Costa Rica Swimmers at the 1996 Summer Olympics Swimmers at the 2000 Summer Olympics Swimmers at the 2004 Summer Olympics Olympic gold medalists for Costa Rica Olympic bronze medalists for Costa Rica World record setters in swimming Olympic bronze medalists in swimming World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming Costa Rican sportspeople in doping cases Doping cases in swimming Costa Rican people of German descent Nicaraguan people of German descent Medalists at the FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m) Nicaraguan emigrants to Costa Rica Medalists at the 2000 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1996 Summer Olympics Olympic gold medalists in swimming Central American and Caribbean Games medalists in swimming Central American and Caribbean Games gold medalists for Costa Rica Competitors at the 2006 Central American and Caribbean Games