Pieter van den Hoogenband
Encyclopedia
Pieter Cornelis Ruud Martijn van den Hoogenband (born 14 March 1978) is a Dutch
former swimmer
and a triple Olympic
champion.
, Limburg
, the son of Cees-Rein van den Hoogenband and Astrid Verver, a former Dutch 800 m freestyle silver medalist at the European Junior Championships
, he grew up in Geldrop
, where he swam for PSV Eindhoven. His father is a team doctor with the professional football
team of the same club. In 1993, Van den Hoogenband achieved his first successes, performing well on the European Youth Olympic Days. He and his wife, former medley swimmer Minouche Smit
, had their first child, a daughter named Daphne, on 23 June 2007. Their second child, a son, Sander was born on 13 September 2009.
, feeling they had much potential but would not be able to live up to it due to lack of adequate support. She pleaded with Cees to take action, as he carried much weight from his professional connections. After Astrid threatened to remove Pieter from the sport, Cees created a small foundation and signed up 20 initial sponsors who each paid $2,500 to fund a team trainer. The Dutch swimming team eventually signed contracts with Philips
, Nike
, and Speedo
. Enough funds were raised to open a swim school in Eindhoven, Van den Hoogenband's place of residence. The team eventually grew to ten. Pieter remained the Netherlands' brightest star, and along with fellow Dutch Inge de Bruijn
brought the Netherlands many victories in the sport.
in Atlanta. Only 18 years old, Van den Hoogenband exceeded the expectations of many by finishing 4th in both the 100 m and 200 m freestyle
respectively. He won the 50m freestyle B final, also finishing 5th in the 4x100m freestyle relay, 7th in the 4x200m freestyle relay & 10th in the 4x100m medley relay.
, but his adversaries were formidable. In the 200 m freestyle he faced the world record holder, Australia
n youngster Ian Thorpe
, favourite of the home crowd in Sydney
. In the semi-finals, Van den Hoogenband set a new world record
, but Thorpe countered with a time only 0.02 s slower. In an exciting final, Van den Hoogenband equalled his time from the semi-finals to win the gold medal. In the 100 m freestyle, Van den Hoogenband again set a world record in the semi-finals and won his second gold medal, defeating the 1992 and 1996 champion, Alexander Popov
. His 100 m world record stood until March 21, 2008 and was broken by France's Alain Bernard (47.60). van den Hoogenband won two more medals, both bronze, in the 50 m freestyle and the 4×200 m freestyle relay, in which he was the final swimmer.
He was named the 2000 Male World Swimmer of the Year
by Swimming World magazine
.
in Fukuoka
, Japan
, Van den Hoogenband won four silver medals in the 50, 100, 200 and 4×100 m freestyle events. He split a 46.70 in the medley relay which stood as the highest 100m freestyle split until it was topped in 2008 by US relay veteran Jason Lezak
.
in Athens
, he won a gold medal in the 100 m freestyle
and two silvers in the 200 m freestyle
and the 4×100 m freestyle relay. He swam an anchor leg of 46.79 in the 4×100 m freestyle relay which was the 2nd fastest split in history.
by finishing fifth in the 100 m freestyle. He retired after the race. In the semifinals he broke his own national record that stood from 2000 Summer Olympics
bringing it to 47.68 s.
In making the 100 m freestyle final, Van den Hoogenband became the first swimmer to make the finals in the same event four times.
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...
former 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...
and a triple Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
champion.
Personal life
Born in MaastrichtMaastricht
Maastricht is situated on both sides of the Meuse river in the south-eastern part of the Netherlands, on the Belgian border and near the German border...
, Limburg
Limburg (Netherlands)
Limburg is the southernmost of the twelve provinces of the Netherlands. It is located in the southeastern part of the country and bordered by the province of Gelderland to the north, Germany to the east, Belgium to the south and part of the west, andthe Dutch province of North Brabant partly to...
, the son of Cees-Rein van den Hoogenband and Astrid Verver, a former Dutch 800 m freestyle silver medalist at the European Junior Championships
European Junior Swimming Championships
The European Junior Swimming Championships is an annual swimming competition for European swimmers organized by the Ligue Européenne de Natation and held over five days...
, he grew up in Geldrop
Geldrop
Geldrop is a town in the Dutch province of North Brabant. It is located in the municipality of Geldrop-Mierlo.Geldrop was a separate municipality until 2004, when it merged with Mierlo...
, where he swam for PSV Eindhoven. His father is a team doctor with the professional football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
team of the same club. In 1993, Van den Hoogenband achieved his first successes, performing well on the European Youth Olympic Days. He and his wife, former medley swimmer Minouche Smit
Minouche Smit
Minouche Smit is a former freestyle and medley swimmer from the Netherlands, who competed for her native country at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia....
, had their first child, a daughter named Daphne, on 23 June 2007. Their second child, a son, Sander was born on 13 September 2009.
Swimming career
Prior to the Atlanta Games, Astrid van den Hoogenband, who was coaching the Dutch team, became frustrated with the swimmers representing the NetherlandsNetherlands
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...
, feeling they had much potential but would not be able to live up to it due to lack of adequate support. She pleaded with Cees to take action, as he carried much weight from his professional connections. After Astrid threatened to remove Pieter from the sport, Cees created a small foundation and signed up 20 initial sponsors who each paid $2,500 to fund a team trainer. The Dutch swimming team eventually signed contracts with Philips
Philips
Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. , more commonly known as Philips, is a multinational Dutch electronics company....
, Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
, and Speedo
Speedo
Speedo International Ltd. is a manufacturer and distributor of swimwear and swim-related accessories. Founded in Australia in 1914, the industry leading company is now a subsidiary of Pentland Group Plc. Today, the Speedo brand can be found on products ranging from swimsuits and goggles to wrist...
. Enough funds were raised to open a swim school in Eindhoven, Van den Hoogenband's place of residence. The team eventually grew to ten. Pieter remained the Netherlands' brightest star, and along with fellow Dutch Inge de Bruijn
Inge de Bruijn
Inge de Bruijn is a Dutch former swimmer. She was a four-time Olympic champion and a former world record holder.-Biography:De Bruijn was born in Barendrecht, South Holland, and tried several sports before settling with swimming....
brought the Netherlands many victories in the sport.
1996 Olympics
His international breakthrough came at the 1996 Summer Olympics1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
in Atlanta. Only 18 years old, Van den Hoogenband exceeded the expectations of many by finishing 4th in both the 100 m and 200 m freestyle
Freestyle swimming
Freestyle is an unregulated swimming style used in swimming competitions according to the rules of FINA. The front crawl stroke is almost universally used during a freestyle race, as this style is generally the fastest...
respectively. He won the 50m freestyle B final, also finishing 5th in the 4x100m freestyle relay, 7th in the 4x200m freestyle relay & 10th in the 4x100m medley relay.
2000 Olympics
After winning 6 gold medals at the 1999 European Championships, he was one of the favourites at the 2000 Summer Olympics2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
, but his adversaries were formidable. In the 200 m freestyle he faced the world record holder, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n youngster Ian Thorpe
Ian Thorpe
Ian James Thorpe OAM , nicknamed the Thorpedo and Thorpey, is an Australian swimmer who specialises in freestyle, but also competes in backstroke and the individual medley. He has won five Olympic gold medals, the most won by any Australian, and with three gold and two silver medals, was the most...
, favourite of the home crowd in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. In the semi-finals, Van den Hoogenband set a new world record
World record
A world record is usually the best global performance ever recorded and verified in a specific skill or sport. The book Guinness World Records collates and publishes notable records of all types, from first and best to worst human achievements, to extremes in the natural world and beyond...
, but Thorpe countered with a time only 0.02 s slower. In an exciting final, Van den Hoogenband equalled his time from the semi-finals to win the gold medal. In the 100 m freestyle, Van den Hoogenband again set a world record in the semi-finals and won his second gold medal, defeating the 1992 and 1996 champion, Alexander Popov
Alexander Popov (swimmer)
Aleksandr Vladimirovich Popov ; is a Russian former Olympic gold-winning swimmer, widely regarded as one of the greatest sprint freestyle swimmers of all time.-Career:Born in Lesnoy, Sverdlovsk Oblast , Popov began swimming at age 8 at...
. His 100 m world record stood until March 21, 2008 and was broken by France's Alain Bernard (47.60). van den Hoogenband won two more medals, both bronze, in the 50 m freestyle and the 4×200 m freestyle relay, in which he was the final swimmer.
He was named the 2000 Male World Swimmer of the Year
Swimming World Swimmers of the Year
The Swimming World Magazine Swimmers of the Year, awarded by the American-based Swimming World Magazine, are a set of awards which are often regarded as being the most prestigious in the sport of swimming...
by Swimming World magazine
Swimming World magazine
Swimming World Magazine is an American-based monthly swimming magazine, that was first published in a magazine format as Junior Swimmer in January of 1960...
.
2001 and 2003 World Championships
At the 2001 World Aquatics Championships2001 World Aquatics Championships
rightThe 2001 World Aquatics Championships or the 9th FINA World Swimming Championships were held in Fukuoka, Japan between 16 July and 29 July 2001....
in Fukuoka
Fukuoka, Fukuoka
is the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture and is situated on the northern shore of the island of Kyushu in Japan.Voted number 14 in a 2010 poll of the World's Most Livable Cities, Fukuoka is praised for its green spaces in a metropolitan setting. It is the most populous city in Kyushu, followed by...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Van den Hoogenband won four silver medals in the 50, 100, 200 and 4×100 m freestyle events. He split a 46.70 in the medley relay which stood as the highest 100m freestyle split until it was topped in 2008 by US relay veteran Jason Lezak
Jason Lezak
Jason Edward Lezak is an American Olympic swimmer, winner of 4 Olympic gold medals.He formerly swam for Irvine Novaquatics. He graduated from Irvine High School in 1994, and then from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1999. He is a member of the Rose Bowl Aquatics swim club...
.
2004 Olympics
At the 2004 Summer Olympics2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, he won a gold medal in the 100 m freestyle
Swimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics - Men's 100 metre freestyle
The Men's 100 metre freestyle swimming event at the 2004 Summer Olympics was contested at the Olympic Aquatic Centre of the Athens Olympic Sports Complex in Athens, Greece.-Medalists:-Records:-Race Summary:...
and two silvers in the 200 m freestyle
Swimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics - Men's 200 metre freestyle
In the lead-up to the Men's 200 metre freestyle Final at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, the race was billed as The Race of the Century due to its significance and high-class field....
and the 4×100 m freestyle relay. He swam an anchor leg of 46.79 in the 4×100 m freestyle relay which was the 2nd fastest split in history.
2008 Olympics
He returned to the Olympic Games in 2008 in BeijingBeijing
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...
by finishing fifth in the 100 m freestyle. He retired after the race. In the semifinals he broke his own national record that stood from 2000 Summer Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
bringing it to 47.68 s.
In making the 100 m freestyle final, Van den Hoogenband became the first swimmer to make the finals in the same event four times.
See also
- List of swimmers
- Dutch records in swimmingDutch records in swimmingBelow is the complete list of the Dutch records in swimming, which are ratified by the Royal Dutch Swimming Federation .-Men:-Women:-Men:-Women:...
- List of multiple Olympic medalists at a single Games