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Swimmer Pieter van den Hoogenband put together an unusual record at the
long-course world championships, eventually winning seven silver medals and two
bronze medals, but no gold. At the Olympics, on the other hand, he has been
extremely successful. He swam in six events at the 1996 Olympics, placing fourth
in the 100m and 200m freestyle events, but it was at the 2000 Sydney Games that
he took charge. In the 200m freestyle van den Hoogenband broke Ian Thorpe's
world record in the semifinals and then faced Thorpe himself in the final. The
two were dead even until the last lap, when van den Hoogenband pulled ahead,
tying the world record he had set the day before. The following evening, in the
4x200m freestyle relay, he swam the fastest relay leg in history to help the
Dutch team earn bronze medals. Van den Hoogenband also broke the world record in
the semifinals of the 100m freestyle and then won the final. Later in the Games,
he added a bronze medal in the 50m freestyle and placed fourth in the medley
relay. Competing in his third Olympics in Athens in 2004, van den Hoogenband
swam the anchor leg in the 4x100m freestyle relay and moved the Dutch team from
fourth place into second. The next day, he led the final of the 200m freestyle
for most of the race until Ian Thorpe passed him just before the finish, as van
den Hoogenband gained a second silver medal. In defense of his 100m title, he
was only fifth at the halfway mark of the final, but then caught Roland Schoeman
just at the end to win by about ten centimetres. Van den Hoogenband also placed
seventeenth in the 50m free. His career record at the Olympics stands at three
gold medals, two silver medals and two bronze medals.
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