Source: Xinhuanet

03-13-2007 14:43

BRUSSELS, March 13 (Xinhua) -- Four-time Olympic swimming champion Inge de Bruijn of the Netherlands retired on Monday.

"My career is over," De Bruijn told Dutch news agency ANP in Hague. "It can't get any better. I'm at the ceiling and see no more challenges. I'm 33 years old, and in swimming that's a grandmother."

She hadn't competed in any major events since the 2004 Athens Olympics, and completed her career with eight Olympic medals overall, and five world championships.

She earned three golds at the 2000 Sydney Games in the 50-meter freestyle, 100 free and 100 butterfly, and a silver in the women's 4x100 free relay.

In Athens, De Bruijn defended her 50 free title, won silver in the 100 free, and bronze in the 100 butterfly, and another bronze in the 4x100 free relay.

She repeated all three of her individual victories in Sydney at the 2001 world championships, earning a second successive world female swimmer of the year award from Swimming World magazine.

De Bruijn still holds the 50 free and 100 butterfly world records, both set in 2000 at Sydney.

Factbox of four-time Olympic champion swimmer Inge de Bruijn

Following is the factbox on Dutch swimmer Inge de Bruijn, who announced her retirement on Monday:

Age: 33 (date of birth: Aug. 24, 1973)

Place of birth: Barendrecht, Netherlands

* Won a bronze medal in the 4x100m freestyle relay at the 1991 world championships in Perth and four medals, including a relay gold, at the European championships later that year.

* Made the final of the 100m freestyle at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics but did not win a medal.

* Considered quitting the sport after she was dropped from the Dutch team for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics for lack of motivation.

* Stung by her demotion, she changed coaches, redeveloped her stroke and committed herself to a gruelling training programme that made her one of the fittest and fastest female swimmers in history.

* Made the finals of the 100m freestyle and 100m butterfly at the 1998 world championships but failed to win a medal in either event. Won two individual titles at the world short-course championships later that year.

* Broke her first world record in 1999 and won her first major long-course titles by winning the 50m freestyle and 50m butterfly at the European championships.

* Won three gold medals at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, in 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle and 100m butterfly, setting world records in all events.

* Also won a silver medal in the 4x100m freestyle relay and was named as the world's best female swimmer for 2000.

* Captured three titles (50m and 100m freestyle, 100m butterfly) at the 2001 world championships in Fukuoka, Japan, and was named world's best female swimmer for second year in a row.

* Won the 50m freestyle title at the 2003 world championships in Barcelona.

* Captured a fourth Olympic title when she successfully defended her 50m freestyle title at Athens in 2004. Also picked up a silver in 100m freestyle, bronze in 100m butterfly and bronze in 4x100 freestyle relay to lift her career tally to eight Olympic medals.

 

Editor:Liu Fang