Matt Grevers
Encyclopedia
Matt Grevers is a professional American
swimmer
. He is best known for winning the silver medal in the 100 m backstroke at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing
.
and swam for the Wildcats. He chose to attend Northwestern over Arizona
, Texas
, and California
.
Both of Grevers' parents are from the Netherlands
. Grevers considered representing the Netherlands and even spoke about it with Dutch swimming legend Pieter van den Hoogenband
. Ultimately, he decided to represent the United States
.
, Grevers won two gold medals by swimming in the preliminary heats of the 4x100 m freestyle relay and 4x100 m medley relay (backstroke), as the Americans went on to win the finals in those events and medals are awarded to participants at any step along the way. Grevers also won an individual silver medal in the 100 m backstroke in a time of 53.11, 0.57 seconds behind the winner, world record holder Aaron Peirsol
.
At the 2009 World Aquatics Championships
, Grevers was part of men's 4x100 m freestyle relay team who took Gold ahead of Russia
and France
. Grevers also earned a gold in the 4x100 m medley relay for his contributions in the heats.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
swimmer
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
. He is best known for winning the silver medal in the 100 m backstroke at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
.
Personal life
Grevers attended Lake Forest High School and Northwestern UniversityNorthwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
and swam for the Wildcats. He chose to attend Northwestern over Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
, Texas
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
, and California
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
.
Both of Grevers' parents are from the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. Grevers considered representing the Netherlands and even spoke about it with Dutch swimming legend Pieter van den Hoogenband
Pieter van den Hoogenband
Pieter Cornelis Ruud Martijn van den Hoogenband is a Dutch former swimmer and a triple Olympic champion.-Personal life:...
. Ultimately, he decided to represent the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Swimming career
At the 2008 Summer Olympics2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
, Grevers won two gold medals by swimming in the preliminary heats of the 4x100 m freestyle relay and 4x100 m medley relay (backstroke), as the Americans went on to win the finals in those events and medals are awarded to participants at any step along the way. Grevers also won an individual silver medal in the 100 m backstroke in a time of 53.11, 0.57 seconds behind the winner, world record holder Aaron Peirsol
Aaron Peirsol
Aaron Wells Peirsol is a former American swimmer who specialized in the backstroke. He is a three-time Olympian and seven-time Olympic medalist . As part of the American team, he holds the world record in the 4×100-meter medley relay...
.
At the 2009 World Aquatics Championships
2009 World Aquatics Championships
The 2009 World Aquatics Championships or the XIII FINA World Championships were celebrated in Rome, Italy in 2009 from July 17 to August 2. The 2009 Championships featured competition in all 5 aquatics disciplines: diving, swimming, open water swimming, synchronized swimming and water polo.Rome won...
, Grevers was part of men's 4x100 m freestyle relay team who took Gold ahead of Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Grevers also earned a gold in the 4x100 m medley relay for his contributions in the heats.