Marleen Veldhuis
Dutch swimmer and former world record holder.
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Magdalena Johanna Maria "Marleen" Veldhuis (born 29 June 1979) is a retired swimmer from the Netherlands. She held world records in six events and won eight world championships gold medals and twenty European championships gold medals. At the Olympics she earned a bronze medal in the 50 m freestyle in London 2012 and three relay medals, including a gold in Beijing 2008.
Swimming career
Marleen Veldhuis began as a water polo player while also swimming. After deciding to focus solely on swimming, she made her international debut at the 2002 European Aquatics Championships in Berlin at age 23, winning a bronze medal in the 4×100 m freestyle with Manon van Rooijen, Chantal Groot and Wilma van Hofwegen. Later that year at the European Short Course Swimming Championships 2002 in Riesa she earned bronze in both the 4×50 m freestyle and 4×50 m medley relays.
In April 2003 she joined Topzwemmen Amsterdam (TZA) to train full-time under Fedor Hes. At the 2003 World Aquatics Championships she reached two individual finals, placing 7th in the 50 m freestyle and 8th in the 100 m freestyle, and made all relay finals without winning a medal. At the European Short Course Swimming Championships 2003 in Dublin she won her first international titles in the 50 m freestyle and the 4×50 m freestyle, plus silver in the 100 m freestyle and bronze in the 4×50 m medley.
At the 2004 European Aquatics Championships in Madrid she took silver in the 4×100 m freestyle with Chantal Groot, Annabel Kosten and Inge Dekker, silver in the 100 m freestyle, and bronze in the 4×100 m medley relay with Stefanie Luiken, Madelon Baans and Chantal Groot. At the 2004 Summer Olympics she debuted at age 25, winning bronze in the 4×100 m freestyle with Inge de Bruijn, Inge Dekker and Chantal Groot. She placed 9th in the 50 m freestyle and 11th in the 100 m freestyle, and as anchor in the 4×100 m medley finished 6th. At the end of 2004 she was named Amsterdam Sportswoman of the year.
Career statistics and honours
Medals
- Gold Olympic Games — 2008 Beijing 4×100 m freestyle
- Silver Olympic Games — 2012 London 4×100 m freestyle
- Bronze Olympic Games — 2012 London 50 m freestyle
- Gold World Championships (LC) — 2009 Rome 4×100 m freestyle
- Gold World Championships (LC) — 2011 Shanghai 4×100 m freestyle
- Silver World Championships (LC) — 2005 Montreal 50 m freestyle
- Silver World Championships (LC) — 2007 Melbourne 100 m freestyle
- Bronze World Championships (LC) — 2007 Melbourne 50 m freestyle
- Bronze World Championships (LC) — 2009 Rome 50 m freestyle
- Bronze World Championships (LC) — 2011 Shanghai 50 m freestyle
- Gold World Championships (SC) — 2004 Indianapolis 50 m freestyle
- Gold World Championships (SC) — 2006 Shanghai 4×100 m freestyle
- Gold World Championships (SC) — 2008 Manchester 50 m freestyle
- Silver World Championships (SC) — 2006 Shanghai 100 m freestyle
Tables copied from the source article, totals included as the source gives them: Wikipedia: Marleen Veldhuis (CC BY-SA 4.0). Wide tables scroll sideways.
Did You Know?
- Veldhuis was born in Borne in the Netherlands and grew up in the eastern part of the country.
- She had a daughter in June 2010, which caused her to miss the 2010 European Aquatics Championships.
- She returned to swimming for the 2011 and 2012 seasons after her daughter's birth.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Marleen Veldhuis (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Statistics, medals and awards: the tables of the source article.
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