Britta Steffen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Britta Steffen

Steffen with the 100m freestyle gold medal at 2009 world championships
Personal information
Born	(1983-11-16) 16 November 1983 (age 41) Schwedt, Bezirk Frankfurt, East Germany
Height	1.80 m
Weight	60 kg
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Strokes	Freestyle
Club	SG Neukölln
Medal record Women's swimming Representing Germany Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 2 0 1 World Championships (LC) 2 2 3 World Championships (SC) 1 1 0 European Championships (LC) 7 2 0 European Championships (SC) 5 5 4 Universiade 2 0 0 Total 19 10 8 Olympic Games Gold 2008 Beijing 50 m freestyle Gold 2008 Beijing 100 m freestyle Bronze 2000 Sydney 4 × 200 m freestyle World Championships (LC) Gold 2009 Rome 50 m freestyle Gold 2009 Rome 100 m freestyle Silver 2007 Melbourne 4 × 200 m freestyle Silver 2009 Rome 4 × 100 m freestyle Bronze 2007 Melbourne 100 m freestyle Bronze 2009 Rome 4 × 100 m medley Bronze 2011 Shanghai 4 × 100 m freestyle World Championships (SC) Gold 2012 Istanbul 100 m freestyle Silver 2000 Athens 4 × 100 m freestyle European Championships (LC) Gold 2006 Budapest 50 m freestyle Gold 2006 Budapest 100 m freestyle Gold 2006 Budapest 4 × 100 m freestyle Gold 2006 Budapest 4 × 200 m freestyle Gold 2012 Debrecen 50 m freestyle Gold 2012 Debrecen 4 × 100 m freestyle Gold 2012 Debrecen 4 × 100 m medley Silver 2006 Budapest 4 × 100 m medley Silver 2012 Debrecen 100 m freestyle European Championships (SC) Gold 2007 Debrecen 100 m freestyle Gold 2007 Debrecen 4 × 50 m medley Gold 2011 Szczecin 50 m freestyle Gold 2011 Szczecin 100 m freestyle Gold 2011 Szczecin 4 × 50 m freestyle Silver 1999 Lisbon 4 × 50 m freestyle Silver 2007 Debrecen 50 m freestyle Silver 2007 Debrecen 4 × 50 m freestyle Silver 2010 Eindhoven 4 × 50 m freestyle Silver 2010 Eindhoven 4 × 50 m medley Bronze 2000 Valencia 4 × 50 m freestyle Bronze 2003 Dublin 4 × 50 m freestyle Bronze 2010 Eindhoven 50 m freestyle Bronze 2010 Eindhoven 100 m freestyle Summer Universiade Gold 2007 Bangkok 50 m freestyle Gold 2007 Bangkok 100 m freestyle

Britta Steffen is a famous German swimmer. She was born on November 16, 1983. Britta was best at freestyle sprint races. She won two gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. She is known for her amazing speed in the water.

Britta Steffen: A Swimming Star

Britta Steffen is a German swimmer who became a world champion. She specialized in short freestyle races. She won many medals throughout her career. Her journey shows how hard work and dedication can lead to great success.

Early Career and First Olympics

Britta started her swimming career very strongly. In 1999, she won six titles at the European Junior Swimming Championships. This showed she was a rising star.

In 2000, Britta competed in her first Olympic Games in Sydney. She won a bronze medal as part of Germany's 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay team. After the 2004 Olympics, she took a year off. She wanted to focus on her studies.

Breaking World Records

In 2006, Britta made a big splash at the 2006 European Aquatics Championships in Budapest. She set a new world record in the women's 100 metre freestyle. Her time was 53.30 seconds. This beat the old record held by Libby Lenton.

At the same championships, Britta helped her relay teams set two more world records.

• The German 4 × 100 metre women's freestyle relay team broke the Australian record.
• The German 4 × 200 metre women's freestyle relay team also broke the US record.

These wins showed how strong German swimming was.

In 2007, Britta competed at the Swimming at the 2007 World Aquatics Championships in Melbourne. She won a bronze medal in the 100 metre freestyle. She also won a silver medal in the 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay.

Olympic Gold in Beijing

The 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing were a highlight for Britta. She won two gold medals.

First, she won the 100 metre freestyle. She caught up to world record-holder Libby Trickett right at the end. Britta finished in 53.12 seconds. This was a new Olympic record for her.

Then, Britta won the 50 metre freestyle gold medal. She beat Dara Torres by just 0.01 seconds. Her time was 24.06 seconds. These two gold medals made her a true Olympic champion.

More World Records and Retirement

In 2009, Britta continued her amazing performance at the 2009 World Aquatics Championships in Rome. She broke her own world record in the 100 metre freestyle. She swam it in 52.07 seconds.

Two days later, she won her second title at the championships. She broke the world record in the 50 metre freestyle. Her time was 23.73 seconds.

Britta's world records were later broken by other swimmers. Cate Campbell broke her 100-metre freestyle record in 2016. Sarah Sjöström broke her 50-metre freestyle record in 2017. Britta Steffen officially stopped competitive swimming in 2013. She left a great legacy in the sport.

See also

In Spanish: Britta Steffen para niños

• List of German records in swimming
• World record progression 50 metres freestyle
• World record progression 100 metres freestyle