Therese Alshammar
Encyclopedia
Malin Therese Alshammar (born 26 August 1977 in Solna Municipality
, Stockholm County
) is a Swedish
swimmer
who has won three Olympic medals, 25 World Championship medals, and 43 European Championship medals. Standing at 1.80 m, she is a specialist of short races in freestyle
and butterfly
. She is coached by former Swedish swimmer Johan Wallberg
.
and Krister Alshammar. She started swimming in the team of Sundbybergs IK
.
At the beginning of her career she was a backstroke swimmer and in 1991, the year Alshammar turned 14, she won her first national short course title on 50 m backstroke at the 1991 Swedish Short Course Swimming Championships. The year after, when she was 14 years old, she won her first national long course senior title, 100 m backstroke at the 1992 Swedish Swimming Championships representing Järfälla SS.
Alshammar was a part of the Swedish team in 1993 European Championships in Sheffield
, finishing fourth in the 100 m backstroke final, and in the inaugural World Short Course Championships
in Palma de Mallorca
. In Palma de Mallorca she took a ninth place in the individual 100 m backstroke, swum the prelims in the silver medal winning 4×100 m freestyle team and came forth in the 4×100 m medley alongside breaststroker Hanna Jaltner
, butterfly swimmer Ellenor Svensson
and Linda Olofsson
on the freestyle leg.
She first appeared on the very international scene after the 1994 World Aquatics Championships
where she made the semifinals in the 100 m backstroke
. In the 1996 Olympics, she also participated in this event but did not reach beyond the semifinals.
In 1997, Alshammar moved to the United States and Lincoln, Nebraska
to study at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln
and swim for the Nebraska Cornhuskers swimming and diving team together with Destiny Laurén under the coach Cal Bentz. The time in the United States resulted in one individual 1999 Big 12 Conference Women's Swimming and Diving Championships gold medal, on the 100 yard freestyle. At the NCAA Division 1 Women's Swimming and Diving Championships
, she won a silver medal in the 4×200 yard relay team 1998 and fourth in 50 yard freestyle and 100 yard freestyle 1999. Under her first year she was a part of the Nebraska Cornhuskers Big 12 Conference Women's Swimming and Diving Championships team. At a personal level she studied advertising.
Alshammar won her first international medal, a bronze in the 50 m freestyle, at the 1997 European Championships. She developed this stroke into her speciality and won the silver at the 1999 European Championships.
She broke through to the top ranks at the 2000 Summer Olympics
in Sydney where she won silver medals in the 50 m and 100 m freestyle, both times vanquished by Inge de Bruijn
, and a bronze medal with the Swedish relay team.
Since Sydney, she has been a favourite at major international events over short distances. At the World Championships
in 2001 she won two silver medals, this time in the 50 m freestyle and 50 m butterfly. In the 2002 European Championships in Berlin she won the 50 m freestyle.
In 2003, she let up to focus on the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. In her only start in the 50 m, she barely missed a medal, coming fourth in the 50 m freestyle.
In the 2005 World Aquatics Championships
in Montreal
, she won a bronze medal in the 50 m butterfly, and took the gold on the same distance at World Championships in Shanghai 2006.
By winning three individual events at the 2006 Swedish Short Course Swimming Championships in Uppsala
, she took her 73rd gold medal and became the Swedish swimmer with the most individual gold medals on the Swedish Championships, passing Anders Holmertz
with one. She took her first gold medal in 1991.
On 17 March 2009, at the Australian Swimming Titles, she broke her own world record in the 50-meter butterfly with a time of 25.44. She was later disqualified by Swimming Australia for wearing two swimsuits. FINA, swimming's governing body, had ratified a new rule only 17 days previously that swimmers can only wear one suit. Alshammar initially appealed the disqualification but withdrew the appeal when the new rule was explained to her.
On 31 July 2011 she won the gold medal at 50 meter freestyle at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships
, making her the oldest woman to win an individual gold medal at the long-course world championships. The day before, she had already won the silver medal in the 50 meter butterfly.
Solna Municipality
Solna Municipality is a municipality in Stockholm County in east central Sweden, located just north of the capital Stockholm. Its seat is located in the 'city' of Solna....
, Stockholm County
Stockholm County
Stockholm County is a county or län on the Baltic sea coast of Sweden. It borders Uppsala County and Södermanland County. It also borders Mälaren and the Baltic Sea. The city of Stockholm is the capital of Sweden. Stockholm County is divided by the historic provinces of Uppland and Södermanland...
) is a Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
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...
who has won three Olympic medals, 25 World Championship medals, and 43 European Championship medals. Standing at 1.80 m, she is a specialist of short races in 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...
and butterfly
Butterfly stroke
The butterfly is a swimming stroke swum on the breast, with both arms moving simultaneously. The butterfly kick was developed separately, and is also known as the "dolphin kick"...
. She is coached by former Swedish swimmer Johan Wallberg
Johan Wallberg
Johan Mikael Wallberg is a former freestyle swimmer from Sweden. He competed twice at the Summer Olympics for his native country, in 1996 and 2000, both in the Men's 4x100 m Freestyle Relay. After his active career he became coach for Swedish swimmer Therese Alshammar.-References:*...
.
Biography
Alshammar was born in Solna 1977, daughter to 7th placed Olympic breaststroke swimmer Britt-Marie SmedhBritt-Marie Smedh
Britt-Marie Smedh is a former Swedish breaststroke swimmer who represented Stockholmspolisens IF...
and Krister Alshammar. She started swimming in the team of Sundbybergs IK
Sundbybergs IK
Sundbybergs IK is a Swedish football club located in Sundbyberg. -Background:Sundbyberg IK, , is a sports club based in Sundbyberg...
.
At the beginning of her career she was a backstroke swimmer and in 1991, the year Alshammar turned 14, she won her first national short course title on 50 m backstroke at the 1991 Swedish Short Course Swimming Championships. The year after, when she was 14 years old, she won her first national long course senior title, 100 m backstroke at the 1992 Swedish Swimming Championships representing Järfälla SS.
Alshammar was a part of the Swedish team in 1993 European Championships in Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, finishing fourth in the 100 m backstroke final, and in the inaugural World Short Course Championships
1993 FINA Short Course World Championships
The 1st FINA Short Course World Championships were held in Palma de Mallorca, Spain from December 2 until December 5, 1993. PR China won the most gold medals, although all of their ten came in the women's events, with Le Jingyi winning two individual and three relay events to travel home with five...
in Palma de Mallorca
Palma de Mallorca
Palma is the major city and port on the island of Majorca and capital city of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands in Spain. The names Ciutat de Mallorca and Ciutat were used before the War of the Spanish Succession and are still used by people in Majorca. However, the official name...
. In Palma de Mallorca she took a ninth place in the individual 100 m backstroke, swum the prelims in the silver medal winning 4×100 m freestyle team and came forth in the 4×100 m medley alongside breaststroker Hanna Jaltner
Hanna Jaltner
Hanna Maria Jaltner is a former female breaststroke swimmer from Sweden. She competed for her native country at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, in the Women's 100m Breaststroke and the Women's 4x100m Medley Relay . She was affiliated with theUniversity of California in Berkeley,...
, butterfly swimmer Ellenor Svensson
Ellenor Svensson
Ellenor Susanne Svensson is a former Swedish Olympic swimmer. She competed in the 1992 Summer Olympics, where she swam the 100 m freestyle and the 4×100 m freestyle relay. She finished 23rd in the individual event and 7th with the team.-References:*...
and Linda Olofsson
Linda Olofsson (swimmer)
Linda Olofsson , later Linda Andersson, is a former female freestyle swimmer from Sweden. She competed twice at the Summer Olympics for her native country, in 1992 and 1996, both in the women's 50 m freestyle and the women's 4×100 m freestyle.-References:...
on the freestyle leg.
She first appeared on the very international scene after the 1994 World Aquatics Championships
1994 World Aquatics Championships
The 1994 FINA World Aquatics Championships were held in Rome, Italy between September 1 and September 11, 1994.-Medal table:-Diving:MenWomen-Open water swimming:MenWomen-Swimming:MenWomen-Synchronized swimming:-Water polo:...
where she made the semifinals in the 100 m backstroke
Backstroke
The backstroke, also sometimes called the back crawl, is one of the four swimming styles regulated by FINA, and the only regulated style swum on the back. This has the advantage of easy breathing, but the disadvantage of swimmers not being able to see where they are going. It is also the only...
. In the 1996 Olympics, she also participated in this event but did not reach beyond the semifinals.
In 1997, Alshammar moved to the United States and Lincoln, Nebraska
Lincoln, Nebraska
The City of Lincoln is the capital and the second-most populous city of the US state of Nebraska. Lincoln is also the county seat of Lancaster County and the home of the University of Nebraska. Lincoln's 2010 Census population was 258,379....
to study at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
The University of Nebraska–Lincoln is a public research university located in the city of Lincoln in the U.S. state of Nebraska...
and swim for the Nebraska Cornhuskers swimming and diving team together with Destiny Laurén under the coach Cal Bentz. The time in the United States resulted in one individual 1999 Big 12 Conference Women's Swimming and Diving Championships gold medal, on the 100 yard freestyle. At the NCAA Division 1 Women's Swimming and Diving Championships
NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving Championships
NCAA Team Championships for Women's Swimming and Diving-Division I:-See also:*AIAW Intercollegiate Women's Swimming and Diving Champions*List of college swimming and diving teams-References:*...
, she won a silver medal in the 4×200 yard relay team 1998 and fourth in 50 yard freestyle and 100 yard freestyle 1999. Under her first year she was a part of the Nebraska Cornhuskers Big 12 Conference Women's Swimming and Diving Championships team. At a personal level she studied advertising.
Alshammar won her first international medal, a bronze in the 50 m freestyle, at the 1997 European Championships. She developed this stroke into her speciality and won the silver at the 1999 European Championships.
She broke through to the top ranks at the 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...
in Sydney where she won silver medals in the 50 m and 100 m freestyle, both times vanquished by 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....
, and a bronze medal with the Swedish relay team.
Since Sydney, she has been a favourite at major international events over short distances. At the World Championships
2001 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 2001 she won two silver medals, this time in the 50 m freestyle and 50 m butterfly. In the 2002 European Championships in Berlin she won the 50 m freestyle.
In 2003, she let up to focus on the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. In her only start in the 50 m, she barely missed a medal, coming fourth in the 50 m freestyle.
In the 2005 World Aquatics Championships
2005 World Aquatics Championships
The 2005 World Aquatics Championships or the XI FINA World Championships were held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada from July 16 to July 31, 2005...
in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, she won a bronze medal in the 50 m butterfly, and took the gold on the same distance at World Championships in Shanghai 2006.
By winning three individual events at the 2006 Swedish Short Course Swimming Championships in Uppsala
Uppsala
- Economy :Today Uppsala is well established in medical research and recognized for its leading position in biotechnology.*Abbott Medical Optics *GE Healthcare*Pfizer *Phadia, an offshoot of Pharmacia*Fresenius*Q-Med...
, she took her 73rd gold medal and became the Swedish swimmer with the most individual gold medals on the Swedish Championships, passing Anders Holmertz
Anders Holmertz
Anders Holmertz is a Swedish retired swimmer who was a leader in freestyle races in the 1980s and at the beginning of 1990s, though often missing personal success. He also settled a record in the 400 m freestyle...
with one. She took her first gold medal in 1991.
On 17 March 2009, at the Australian Swimming Titles, she broke her own world record in the 50-meter butterfly with a time of 25.44. She was later disqualified by Swimming Australia for wearing two swimsuits. FINA, swimming's governing body, had ratified a new rule only 17 days previously that swimmers can only wear one suit. Alshammar initially appealed the disqualification but withdrew the appeal when the new rule was explained to her.
On 31 July 2011 she won the gold medal at 50 meter freestyle at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships
2011 World Aquatics Championships
The 14th FINA World Championships were held at July 16–31, 2011 in Shanghai, China at the Shanghai Oriental Sports Center. The 2011 World Championships featured five aquatics disciplines: swimming, water polo, diving, open water, and synchronised swimming...
, making her the oldest woman to win an individual gold medal at the long-course world championships. The day before, she had already won the silver medal in the 50 meter butterfly.
Long course (50 m)
Short course (25 m)
Clubs
- Sundbybergs IKSundbybergs IKSundbybergs IK is a Swedish football club located in Sundbyberg. -Background:Sundbyberg IK, , is a sports club based in Sundbyberg...
- Stockholmspolisens IFStockholmspolisens IFStockholmspolisens IF is a Swedish swim team from Stockholm, Sweden founded in 1912. Stockholmspolisens IF also has departments in team handball, basketball, football, judo and, triathlon. The swimming department offers swimming, diving, masters swimming and water polo.-External links:*...
- Järfälla SS (−1992)
- SK NeptunSK NeptunSK Neptun, Simklubben Neptun, Swedish swim team from Stockholm founded October 12, 1906 by members from Stockholms KK. Home pool is Eriksdalsbadet in Stockholm...
(1993–1995, 1996–2008) - Helsingborgs SSHelsingborgs SSHelsingborgs SS is a Swedish swim team founded in 1907. The club's activities take place in Filbornabadet and Simhallsbadet. The most famous swimmers are Therese Alshammar, Johanna Sjöberg and Emma Igelström, who have all competed in the Summer Olympics....
(1996) - Täby Sim (2008–)
External links
- Swim Rankings profile