Inge de Bruijn

Inge de Bruijn
Inge de Bruijn as NOS reporter at the European Swimming Championships 2008 in Eindhoven
Personal information
Surname:	Inge de Bruijn
Nation:	Netherlands
Swimming style (s) :	Freestyle, butterfly
Birthday:	August 24, 1973
Place of birth:	Barendrecht
Size:	1.78 m
Weight:	60 kg
Medal table

Inge de Bruijn (born August 24, 1973 in Barendrecht ) is a former Dutch swimmer and four-time Olympic champion .

Career

De Bruijn had tried several sports before focusing on a career as a competitive swimmer. She made her international debut at the European Swimming Championships in Athens in 1991 , when she won the gold medal with the Dutch 4 × 100 m freestyle relay. At the World Swimming Championships held in Perth in the same year , she won bronze with the Dutch relay.

The following year, de Bruijn appeared in Barcelona for the first time at the Olympic Games . Over 100 m freestyle and with the 4 × 100 m freestyle relay, she achieved 8th place. In the following years she suffered badly from lack of motivation. She decided not to take part in the 1996 Olympic Games .

She regretted this decision so much that she decided to move to the United States to train there. This decision was rewarded in 1999 with the title of 50 m freestyle at the European Swimming Championships in Istanbul .

After de Bruijn had swum several world records in the run-up to the Olympic Games in 2000 , she competed in Sydney as a top favorite. She lived up to this role and became the 50 m and 100 m freestyle, where she fought down Therese Alshammar from Sweden and relegated to 2nd place, as well as the 100 m butterfly Olympic champion. In addition, she won the silver medal with the Dutch 4 × 100 m freestyle relay.

She was able to confirm her performance in 2001 at the World Swimming Championships in Fukuoka . There she won the title over 50 m freestyle, 100 m freestyle and over 50 m butterfly. Two years later in Barcelona de Bruijn secured her fourth world title in the 50 m butterfly. In 2001, de Bruijn was voted Sportswoman of the Year in her home country . At the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens she was able to prevail over the 50 m freestyle again, but was defeated over the 100 m freestyle by the Australian Jodie Henry and had to admit defeat with second place. De Bruijn also won two bronze medals: over 100 m butterfly and with the Dutch 4 × 100 m freestyle relay.

In 2007 Inge de Brujin announced her retirement from swimming.

In 2017, De Brujin appeared in the Dutch version of the reality TV show Adam sucht Eva .

Awards

• World swimmer of the year 2000, 2001
• European swimmer of the year 1999, 2000, 2001
• Europe's Sportswoman of the Year (PAP) 2000
• Europe's Sportswoman of the Year (UEPS) 2000
• World Sportswoman of the Year ( La Gazzetta dello Sport ) 2001
• Dutch sportswoman of the year 2001

Web links

Commons : Inge de Bruijn  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Inge de Bruijn in the Swimrankings.net database (English)
• Inge de Bruijn in the Sports-Reference database (English; archived from the original )
• Profile at zwemkroniek.com (English)
• Profile at netglimse.com (English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Inge de Bruijn listens to tagesspiegel.de , March 13, 2007
2. ↑ Naakte mannen vechten om het hart van Inge de Bruijn in 'Adam zkt. Eva Vips' linda.nl, May 26th 2017