Inge de Bruijn

Inge de Bruijn (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɪŋə də ˈbrœyn]; born 24 August 1973) is a Dutch former competitive swimmer. She is a four-time Olympic champion and a former world record-holder.

Biography

De Bruijn was born in Barendrecht, Netherlands, and tried several sports before eventually specializing in swimming.

Swimming career

De Bruijn debuted at the World Aquatics Championships in January 1991, winning a bronze medal with the 4×100 m relay team, with which she won the gold medal at the European LC Championships in August of that year.

The following year, de Bruijn made her Olympic debut at the 1992 Summer Olympics, and finished 8th in the 100 m and 4×100 m freestyle events. She did not compete at the 1996 Summer Olympics. In 1999, she won the 50 m freestyle at the European Championships. The following year, after having swum several 50 m freestyle world records, she competed in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. She won the 50 and 100 m freestyle, and the 100 m butterfly, setting world records in all three events. She also won a silver medal with the 4×100 m freestyle relay team. Her nickname became "Invincible Inky".

She was named by Swimming World as the "Female World Swimmer of the Year" in both 2000 and 2001. She won titles in three events at the 2001 World Championships. At the 2003 World Championships, de Bruijn successfully defended her 50 m freestyle and butterfly titles. At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens she defended her gold medal in the 50 m free, and took silver in the 100 m free, and two bronze: one in the 100 m butterfly and another in the 4×100 m relay.

With an Olympic medal total of four gold, two silver and two bronze, she is the second most successful Dutch Olympian of all time. Moreover, her combined nine individual titles won at the Olympics (four) and World Aquatics Championships (five) are a record for female swimmers.

In March 2007, de Bruijn announced her retirement from competitive swimming.

Post-swimming career

De Bruijn resides in Eindhoven, Netherlands, and previously trained in Portland, Oregon.

She was the face for Dutch lingerie brand Sapph, along with kickboxer Remy Bonjasky, the face for the men's line of the brand.

See also

• List of Dutch records in swimming
• List of multiple Olympic gold medalists at a single Games
• List of multiple Olympic gold medalists
• List of top Olympic gold medalists in swimming
• List of individual gold medalists in swimming at the Olympics and World Aquatics Championships (women)
• World record progression 50 metres freestyle
• World record progression 100 metres freestyle

External links

Records
Preceded by Le Jingyi	Women's 50 metre freestyle world record holder (long course) 4 June 2000 – 24 March 2008	Succeeded by Marleen Veldhuis
Preceded by Le Jingyi	Women's 100 metre freestyle world record holder (long course) 28 May 2000 – 31 March 2004	Succeeded by Libby Trickett
Preceded by Record installed	Women's 50 metre butterfly world record holder (long course) 18 June 1999 – 1 July 1999	Succeeded by Anna-Karin Kammerling
Preceded by Anna-Karin Kammerling	Women's 50 metre butterfly world record holder (long course) 20 May 2000 – 30 July 2002	Succeeded by Anna-Karin Kammerling
Preceded by Jenny Thompson	Women's 100 metre butterfly world record holder (long course) 27 May 2000 – 26 July 2009	Succeeded by Sarah Sjöström
Awards and achievements
Preceded by Leontien van Moorsel	Dutch Sportswoman of the Year 2001	Succeeded by Verona van de Leur
Preceded by Penny Heyns	World Swimmer of the Year 2000–2001	Succeeded by Natalie Coughlin
Preceded by Ágnes Kovács	European Swimmer of the Year 1999–2001	Succeeded by Franziska van Almsick