Inge de Bruijn

Inge de Bruijn

De Bruijn providing TV commentary during the 2008 Euro Championships
Personal information
Full name	Inge de Bruijn
Nationality	Netherlands
Born	24 August 1973 (1973-08-24) Barendrecht, Netherlands
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight	60 kg (130 lb; 9.4 st)
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Stroke(s)	Freestyle, butterfly
Medal record Women's swimming Competitor for the Netherlands Olympic Games Gold 2000 Sydney 50 m freestyle Gold 2000 Sydney 100 m freestyle Gold 2000 Sydney 100 m butterfly Gold 2004 Athens 50 m freestyle Silver 2000 Sydney 4×100 m freestyle Silver 2004 Athens 100 m freestyle Bronze 2004 Athens 100 m butterfly Bronze 2004 Athens 4×100 m freestyle World Championships Gold 2001 Fukuoka 50 m freestyle Gold 2001 Fukuoka 100 m freestyle Gold 2001 Fukuoka 50 m butterfly Gold 2003 Barcelona 50 m freestyle Gold 2003 Barcelona 50 m butterfly Bronze 1991 Perth 4×100 m freestyle World Championships (SC) Gold 1999 Hong Kong 50 m freestyle Silver 1999 Hong Kong 4×100 m freestyle Bronze 1999 Hong Kong 50 m butterfly European Championships (LC) Gold 1991 Athens 4×100 m freestyle Gold 1999 Istanbul 50 m freestyle Gold 1999 Istanbul 100 m butterfly Silver 1991 Athens 100 m butterfly Silver 1999 Istanbul 100 m freestyle Bronze 1991 Athens 50 m freestyle Bronze 1991 Athens 4×100 m medley Bronze 1993 Sheffield 50 m freestyle European Championships (SC) Gold 1998 Sheffield 50 m freestyle Gold 2001 Antwerp 50 m freestyle Gold 2001 Antwerp 100 m freestyle Gold 1991 Gelsenkirchen 50 m butterfly Gold 1998 Sheffield 50 m butterfly Silver 1992 Espoo 50 m butterfly Silver 1998 Sheffield 4 × 50 metre freestyle Silver 2001 Antwerp 4 × 50 metre freestyle Bronze 1998 Sheffield 100 m butterfly Bronze 1998 Sheffield 4 × 50 metre medley Bronze 2001 Antwerp 4 × 50 metre medley

Inge de Bruijn (born 24 August 1973) is a Dutch former swimmer. She is 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.

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 would go on to win 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. In addition, she 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, as well as taking silver in the 100 m free, and two bronze: one in the 100 m butterfly and another with the rest of the Dutch women's swim team in the 4×100 m relay.

With an Olympic medal collection of four gold, two silver and two bronze medals, she is the most successful Dutch Olympian of all time.

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

Post-swimming career

De Bruijn resides in Eindhoven, the 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.

Doping controversy

De Bruijn was mentioned in connection with performance-enhancing drugs during the Sydney Olympics, along with fellow Dutch swimmer Pieter van den Hoogenband. She has never failed a drug test or been clearly connected to illegal substances.

See also

• List of Dutch records in swimming
• List of multiple Olympic gold medalists at a single Games
• List of multiple Olympic gold medalists

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