Claudia Poll is a Costa Rican-Nicaraguan swimmer born to German parents. She made history as the first person from Central America to win an Olympic gold medal and is Costa Rica’s only Olympic gold-medalist, a medal she earned in the 200 meter freestyle event at the 1996 Olympics. Poll continued to earn two bronze medals at the 2000 Olympics. Claudia Poll’s achievements as an Olympic medalist serve as inspiration to athletes throughout Central America and worldwide.