| Rank | Event | Year | Location | Result |
| Olympic Games | ||||
| 1 | 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay | 2008 | Beijing, CHN | 3:08.24 |
| World Championships | ||||
| 1 | 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay | 2009 | Rome, ITA | 3:09.21 |
| 1 | 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay | 2007 | Melbourne, VIC, AUS | 3:12.72 |
| 2 | 50m Freestyle | 2007 | Melbourne, VIC, AUS | 21.94 |
| 5 | 50m Freestyle | 2009 | Rome, ITA | 21.47 |
| Heats | 50m Freestyle | 2011 | Shanghai, CHN | 22.37 |
| Heats | 50m Butterfly | 2011 | Shanghai, CHN | 24.19 |
| Pan Pacific Championships | ||||
| 5 | 50m Butterfly | 2010 | Irvine, CA, USA | 23.50 |
| 6 | 50m Freestyle | 2010 | Irvine, CA, USA | 22.10 |
Nickname
CJ or Nova (US Swimming, 06 Mar 2007)
Hobbies
Watching films, playing video games. (US Swimming, 06 Mar 2007)
Occupation
Athlete, Motivational Speaker
Education
English, Psychology - North Carolina State University, North Carolina, USA
Language(s) spoken
English
Other sports
His distant relative, Rodney Wallace, was a former Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle. (usaswimming.org, 31 Dec 2010)
Debut
2006 for United States, Pan Pacific Games (Canada) (usaswimming.org, 06 Dec 2007)
Additional information
Start of sporting career
He started swimming at age eight in Irvington, New Jersey. (US Swimming, 19 Apr 2006)
Reason for taking up this sport
His mother enrolled him in swimming lessons after he nearly drowned on a water ride at a theme park. (Charlotte Observer, 01 Jun 2008)
Ambitions
To write for a men's fashion magazine, such as GQ. (usaswimming.org, 31 Dec 2010)
Hero
Russian swimmer Alexander Popov and US swimmer Gary Hall Jr. (US Swimming, 19 Apr 2006)
Most influential person in career
His father Ronald and coach Ed Nessel. (US Swimming, 06 Mar 2007)
Awards
In 2006 he won the Breakout Performer of the Year award at US Swimming's Golden Goggles. (US Swimming, 06 Mar 2007)
General
FAMILY
He says his late father Ronald, who died from lung cancer when Cullen was 16, is the inspiration of his life and swimming career. His father played basketball at a small college in the Bronx and wanted his son to play point guard, but once he saw his son swim he was 100 per cent behind him. "He would sacrifice all the time. Selling something he had or going without to buy me new goggles. I pretty much dedicated my entire career to him." He has a tattoo below his neck, a cross that includes his father's basketball jersey number - 41. His mother Debra was also diagnosed with breast cancer in 1998, but has since recovered. (US Swimming, 07 Jan 2007; South Florida Sun-Sentinel, 21 Jan 2007)
PIONEER
He has set several landmarks for an African-American swimmer, including being the first to break a world long course record and only the second to win an Olympic medal. He has also stated his desire to start an Association of African-American Swimmers. "I am to swimming what Tiger Woods is to golf." (NC State University, 31 Jul 2006; NC State University, 31 Jul 2006; usaswimming.org, 06 Dec 2007)
LIKE JORDAN
He hopes to model himself on basketball legend Michael Jordan, saying he liked the NBA star's lack of cockiness about his talents, while still achieving results. "He doesn't have to be cocky about his talent. He is good and he knows it but he is not slamming it in peoples faces. That's what I'm trying to take from his attitude, you can still be a nice guy but people still see you as being a competitor." (Sydney Morning Herald, 14 Feb 2007)
Previous Olympics
Beijing 2008
