Franziska van Almsick facts for kids

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Franziska van Almsick

Personal information
Nationality	Germany
Born	(1978-04-05) 5 April 1978 (age 46) East Berlin, East Germany
Height	1.81 m
Weight	66 kg
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Strokes	Freestyle
Club	SG Neukölln
Medal record Women's swimming Representing  Germany Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 0 4 6 World Championships (LC) 2 2 2 European Championships (LC) 18 3 0 European Championships (SC) 4 1 0 Total 24 10 8 Olympic Games Silver 1992 Barcelona 200 m freestyle Silver 1992 Barcelona 4 × 100 m medley Silver 1996 Atlanta 200 m freestyle Silver 1996 Atlanta 4 × 200 m freestyle Bronze 1992 Barcelona 100 m freestyle Bronze 1992 Barcelona 4 × 100 m freestyle Bronze 1996 Atlanta 4 × 100 m freestyle Bronze 2000 Sydney 4 × 200 m freestyle Bronze 2004 Athens 4 × 100 m medley Bronze 2004 Athens 4 × 200 m freestyle World Championships (LC) Gold 1994 Rome 200 m freestyle Gold 1998 Perth 4 × 200 m freestyle Silver 1994 Rome 4 × 200 m freestyle Silver 1998 Perth 4 × 100 m freestyle Bronze 1994 Rome 100 m freestyle Bronze 1994 Rome 4 × 100 m freestyle European Championships (LC) Gold 1993 Sheffield 50 m freestyle Gold 1993 Sheffield 100 m freestyle Gold 1993 Sheffield 200 m freestyle Gold 1993 Sheffield 4 × 100 m freestyle Gold 1993 Sheffield 4 × 200 m freestyle Gold 1993 Sheffield 4 × 100 m medley Gold 1995 Vienna 100 m freestyle Gold 1995 Vienna 400 m freestyle Gold 1995 Vienna 4 × 100 m freestyle Gold 1995 Vienna 4 × 200 m freestyle Gold 1995 Vienna 4 × 100 m medley Gold 1999 Istanbul 4 × 100 m freestyle Gold 1999 Istanbul 4 × 200 m freestyle Gold 2002 Berlin 100 m freestyle Gold 2002 Berlin 200 m freestyle Gold 2002 Berlin 4 × 100 m freestyle Gold 2002 Berlin 4 × 200 m freestyle Gold 2002 Berlin 4 × 100 m medley Silver 1993 Sheffield 100 m butterfly Silver 1995 Vienna 50 m freestyle Silver 1999 Istanbul 4 × 100 m medley European Championships (SC) Gold 1992 Espoo 50 m freestyle Gold 1992 Espoo 4 × 50 m freestyle Gold 1992 Espoo 4 × 50 m medley Gold 1998 Sheffield 4 × 50 m medley Silver 1998 Sheffield 200 m freestyle

Franziska van Almsick (German pronunciation: [fʁanˈt͡sɪska fan ˈalmsɪk]; born 5 April 1978) is a retired German swimmer, former world record holder. She was multiple World and European champion, in both Long and Short Course Championships.

Career

Jörg Hoffmann and van Almsick (11 years old) at the Children's and Youth Spartakiad in July 1989

Her career began at the SC Dynamo Berlin in East Germany. Franziska van Almsick won 2 gold medals at the World Championships, 18 gold medals at the European championships and 4 gold medals at the European championships (SC).

At the World Championships in 1994, her teammate Dagmar Hase qualified for the 200 metre freestyle final as the eight best swimmer, leaving Franziska only with the ninth best qualification time. Therefore, Hase abandoned her start place and offered it to van Almsick, who then won the gold medal in the final bettering the world record.

Franziska won her first Olympic medals in 1992 at the Barcelona Olympic Games aged only 14. She won a Silver and Bronze respectively in 200 m freestyle and 100 m freestyle. In other team events, she won a Silver and Bronze respectively in 4x100 m medley relay and 4x100 m freestyle relay.

She has the distinction of having the most career Olympic medals, ten, without ever winning a gold medal. She ended her career at the Athens Olympic Games in 2004.

In 1993, she was named by Swimming World magazine as the Female World Swimmer of the Year.

In 1995, she was described by the New York Times as "the swimmer who united a nation", due to her status as "the first big star of German reunification".

Personal life

She has two sons, born in 2006 and 2013. Her family resides in Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.

In 1993, evidence revealed that her mother Jutta, a sports coach, had been a Stasi informer, though Jutta disputed this.

See also

In Spanish: Franziska van Almsick para niños

• List of German records in swimming
• List of multiple Summer Olympic medalists
• List of multiple Olympic medalists at a single Games
• World record progression 50 metres freestyle
• World record progression 100 metres freestyle
• World record progression 200 metres freestyle
• Sport in Berlin