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Simon Militis
Personal information
Full nameSimon Paul Militis
NicknameChunk
National team Great Britain
Born (1977-09-21) 21 September 1977 (age 47)
Saint Helier, Jersey, Channel Islands
Height1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight100 kg (220 lb)
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesBackstroke, medley
ClubPortsmouth Northsea Swim Club[1]
CoachChris Nesbitt[1]
Medal record
Men's swimming
Representing  England
Commonwealth Games
Bronze medal – third place 2002 Manchester 200 m backstroke

Simon Paul Militis (born 21 September 1977, Jersey) is a male English former competitive swimmer, who specialized in backstroke and individual medley events.[2]

Swimming career

He is a single-time Olympian (2000), a British swimming champion in the 200 metres backstroke (1996 & 2001)[3] and 400 metres individual medley (2000 & 2001),[4] and a bronze medalist at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, representing his adopted nation England. During his sporting career, Militis also trained for the Portsmouth Northsea Swim Club under head coach Chris Nesbitt.[1]

Militis competed in two swimming events, as a member of Team GB, at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. He eclipsed FINA A-standards of 2:00.75 (200 m backstroke) and 4:20.07 (400 m individual medley) from the British Olympic Trials in Sheffield, England.[1][5][6] On the second day of the Games, Militis placed twenty-fourth in the 400 m individual medley. Swimming in heat four, he held off Austria's Michael Windisch to save a seventh spot by 0.24 of a second in 4:24.38.[7][8] Three days later, in the 200 m backstroke, Militis challenged seven other swimmers in heat six, including his teammate Adam Ruckwood, Australia's top favorite Matt Welsh, and U.S. world record holder Lenny Krayzelburg. He fell short to sixth place by just 0.09 seconds apart from Ruckwood in a time of 2:01.20. Militis missed the semifinals by only a small fraction of a second, as he placed nineteenth overall in the prelims.[9][10]

In 2001, Militis became the first ever British swimmer to race under a 4:20 barrier in the 400 m individual medley from the national trials, breaking a new British record of 4.19.90. He also powered home with a 200 m backstroke title in 2:02.73, more than a second off his personal best.[11]

At the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England, Militis enjoyed the race by a massive roar of a delightful home crowd, as he wrested a bronze in 2:01.04, handing an entire medal lock for Great Britain with a one–two–three finish.

[12][13]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d Lord, Craig (26 July 2000). "Three British Records Fall on Day Two of Olympic Trials". Swimming World Magazine. Archived from the original on 24 June 2013. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
  2. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Simon Militis". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
  3. ^ ""For the Record." Times, 13 July 1996, p. 51". The Times. 13 July 1996. p. 51.
  4. ^ ""For the record." Times, 27 July 2000, p. ^". The Times. 27 July 2000.
  5. ^ Lonsborough, Anita (27 July 2000). "Swimming: Horner out of time as Earp shines". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
  6. ^ "Britain's Hickman Adds Third Event to His Olympic Program, Wins 100 Fly at British Trials". Swimming World Magazine. 30 July 2000. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
  7. ^ "Sydney 2000: Swimming – Men's 400m Individual Medley Heat 4" (PDF). Sydney 2000. LA84 Foundation. p. 316. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 August 2011. Retrieved 26 March 2013.
  8. ^ "Dolan breaks own world mark in 400 IM". Canoe.ca. 17 September 2000. Retrieved 28 May 2013.
  9. ^ "Sydney 2000: Swimming – Men's 200m Backstroke Heat 6" (PDF). Sydney 2000. LA84 Foundation. p. 285. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 August 2011. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
  10. ^ "Brits ease into 100m semis". BBC Sport. 20 September 2000. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
  11. ^ Petty, Martin (16 April 2001). "Gibson Breaks Commonwealth Record Again as British Trials End". Swimming World Magazine. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
  12. ^ "England Celebrates Its Greatest Day Ever in International Competition, Wins 4 Gold on Day 3 of Commonwealth Games". Swimming World Magazine. 1 August 2002. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
  13. ^ "Goddard grabs gold in British 1–2–3". Manchester 2002. 1 August 2002. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
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