Marleen Veldhuis (Swimming)Marleen Veldhuis is multiple Dutch swimming Champion on several distances both on the long and short course. She is also six-times European Champion on the short course. Her international breakthrough was in October 2004 by winning a gold medal at the 50 meters freestyle in the World Championship short course in Indianapolis (US). At the Olympic Games in Athens 2004 she won the bronze medal for the 4 x 100 meters freestyle. A year later, Marleen became ‘Queen’ of the European Championship Short Course 2005 in Trieste, where she took home four gold medals and set a world record on the 4 x 50 meters relay medley. In 2007, Marleen was elected Dutch Sportswoman of the Year. In 2008, during the World Championship free style in Manchester (UK) she broke her own world record on the 50 meter freestyle setting it to 23.25 seconds. She also won four golden medals, on the 50 meters freestyle, 100 meters freestyle, 4 x 100 meters freestyle (relay) and 4 x 200 meters freestyle (relay). At the European Championship 2008 in Eindhoven (NL), Marleen won three golden (50 and 100 meters freestyle and 4 x 100 meters freestyle) and one bronze medal (4 x 100 meters medley) In Beijing, Marleen won her first Olympic Gold medal with the 4 x 100 m freestyle relay team, beating other title favorites USA and Australia in a new Olympic Record of 3.33’76”. During the European Championships short course 2008 in Rijeka (Croatia) Marleen seized four gold medals. She won her titles in the 4x50 meter free style, 4x50 meter medley, 100 meter free style and with 23'55" as the winning time she claimed her sixth consecutive title on the 50 meter free style. In the summer of 2009, during the World Championship in Rome, Marleen prolonged her gold medal at the 4x100 m. free style relay and she became 3rd at the 50 m. free style. Together with the other members of the relay team Marleen received the title sports team of the year 2009. Marleen and the relay team have won every title from EC to WC and Olympic. |
