Jessica Adele Hardy Meichtry (born March 12, 1987[1]) is an American competitive swimmer who specializes in breaststroke and freestyle events.

She has won a total of twenty-eight medals in major international competition, fourteen gold, nine silver, and five bronze spanning the Olympics, World and the Pan Pacific Championships.

From 2008 to 2009, Hardy served a 12 month suspension from swimming competition due to an anti-doping rule violation at the 2008 Olympic Trials.

She gave up her eligibility and turned professional in 2007, to train with coach Dave Salo for Trojan Swim Club of the University of Southern California.

[10] At the 2005 World Aquatics Championships, a long course meet, Hardy competed in two individual breaststroke events and in the 4×100-meter medley relay.

Hardy broke Leisel Jones' world record in the semifinals of the 100-meter breaststroke on July 25 before ultimately finishing second in the finals two days later.

[11][12] In the 4×100-meter medley relay, on July 30, Hardy won a silver medal with Natalie Coughlin, Rachel Komisarz, and Amanda Weir.

[13] At the 2006 Short Course World Championships in Shanghai, Hardy competed in two individual breaststroke events and swam in the heats of the 4×100-meter medley relay.

In the 50-meter breaststroke on April 6, Hardy won a bronze medal, finishing behind Jade Edmistone and Brooke Hanson of Australia.

[14] Hardy then competed in the heats of the 4×100-meter medley relay (with Mary Mohler, Elaine Breeden, and Amanda Weir) on April 7, and won a silver medal after the United States placed second in the finals.

[16] At the 2007 World Aquatics Championships, a long course meet, Hardy competed in two individual breaststroke events and in the 4×100-meter medley relay.

[17] Hardy then swam in the heats of the 4×100-meter medley relay (with Leila Vaziri, Dana Vollmer, and Amanda Weir) on March 31, and won a silver medal after the United States placed second in the finals.

[21] In the 4×100-meter medley, on April 11, Hardy teamed with Margaret Hoelzer, Rachel Komisarz, and Kara Denby to win gold in a world record time of 3:51.36.

[26][27][28] A few weeks later, on July 23, 2008, Hardy was notified that the second of her three tests from the Trials came back as positive for low levels of clenbuterol; this notification subsequently leaked to the media.

[30] Media coverage of the issue noted that tainted supplements have played a part in some previous instances of bans, and this was the case this time as well.

[31] Under both American and international regulations, a lack of knowledge of the source of the substance ingested is not considered to be a defense against a positive result.

On August 6, Hardy broke Yuliya Yefimova's world record in the 50-meter breaststroke (long course) with a time of 29.95 to become the first woman under 30 seconds in the event.

[37] At the World Cup on October 17, Hardy broke her own 50-meter breaststroke (short course) record set in April 2008 with a time of 29.45.

On her final chance of making the team, on August 7, Hardy finished in second place in the 100-meter freestyle in 54.14, a personal best for her.

She also competed in the 100-meter breaststroke, and placed third in the final behind Olympic newcomer Breeja Larson and veteran Rebecca Soni.

Hardy won gold in the 100 breaststroke at the 2014 Pan Pacific Championships, as well as a silver in the 4x100-meter medley relay with Missy Franklin, Kendyl Stewart, and Simone Manuel.