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Inge de Bruijn, nicknamed Invincible Inky, is a Dutch swimmer and a four-time
Olympic champion. Born in Barendrecht, De Bruijn tried several sports before
settling with swimming. She debuted at the World Championships in 1991, winning
a bronze medal with the 4x100m relay team, with which she had already won a gold
medal at European Championships.
The following year, De Bruijn made her Olympic debut at the 1992 Summer Olympics,
and finished 8th in the 100 m and 4x100m freestyle events. She continued to swim
with the best in the next years, but was not motivated enough to compete in the
1996 Summer Olympics, and stayed home.
She immediately regretted this decision, and decided to go to the United States
to train. Her return was crowned in 1999, when she won the 50m freestyle at the
World Championships. The following year, after having swam several World
Records, she competed during the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. She won the 50 and
100m freestyle, and the 100m butterfly, setting World Records in all three
events. In addition, she won a silver medal with the 4x100 m freestyle relay
team.
She confirmed her status when she won titles in the three same events at the
2001 World Championships, and the 50m freestyle at the 2003 World Championships.
At the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens she upheld her gold medal in the 50m
free, as well as taking silver in the 100m free, and two bronze: one in the 100m
butterfly and another with the rest of the Dutch women's swim team in the 4x100m
relay.
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