Ryk Neethling

Ryk Neethling , born on November 17th, 1977 with Bloemfontein, is a South-African swimmer specialist in the tests in freestyle (of the 50 m to the 200 m). At the time of his third Olympic participation, the swimmer conquered the gold medal on the test of the relay 4x100 m freestyle with his compatriots Roland Schoeman, Lyndon Ferns and Darian Townsend.

Biography

In parralèlle with its studies in its birthplace of Bloemfontein, Ryk Neethling excels in swimming. Thus, it gains its place in the South-African Olympic team to take part in the Olympic Games of 1996 organized with Atlanta. It obtains one there conquième place at the time of the finale of the 1500 m freestyle. After the Olympic competition, Neethling joined the the United States and the Université of Arizona where it gains titles NCAA and personal distinctions. Multiple medal-holder with the Side-peaceful championships or the Plays of the Commonwealth, it finishes in the fifth place of the 1500 m freestyle at the time of the Olympic Games of 2000 with Sydney. Disappointed, the South-African decides to give up this test of medium-distance race to concentrate on the tests of sprint (50 m or 100 m freestyle). He quickly obtains convincing results confirmed by podiums in international competitions as at the time of the Plays of the Commonwealth 2002.

In 2004, it approaches ambitious its third Olympic Games with Athens more especially as South-African swimming has legitimate chances of podium on the relay 4x100 m freestyle (grace in particular to the performances of its leader Roland Schoeman). Enough homogeneous, the South-African quator does not disappoint by carrying out new world records finally and by taking down the gold medal in front of the Dutch and American relays. Ryk Neethling and its compatriots are then the seconds, after the Australian relay in 2000, to dispute the usual hegemony of the American relays with the OJ With in an individual capacity, the South-African passes very close to the podium of some hundredths at the time of the finale of the 100 m freestyle dominated by Pieter van den Hoogenband in front of the other South-African Schoeman.

In 2005, Neethling conquers its first world podiums in large basin with Montreal before becoming triple world champion in small basin in 2006 with Shanghai. At the time of the World 2007 of Melbourne, it finishes twice with the foot of the podium and obtains the eighth place at the time of the finale of the 100 m freestyle.

Others

In November 2005, he announces to have declined an offer of the Qatar to change nationality and to represent the colors of the emirate at the time of the Olympic Games of summer of 2008. The swimmer had a connection with American the Amanda Beard, Olympic champion in 2000 out of 200 m brews.

Prize list

Olympic Games

Championships of the world

Records

Also illustrating in small basin on the test of the 100 m 4 strokes, Neethling is the holder of the world records since 2005, record which it improved twice since. He was in addition holder of the world records of the relay 4x100 m freestyle, performance carried out with his compatriots at the time of the Olympic finale with Athens in 2004.

Notes and references of the article

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