Pieter van den Hoogenband facts for kids

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Pieter van den Hoogenband

Van den Hoogenband in 2008
Personal information
Nickname(s)	The Flying Dutchman, The Dutch Dolphin, Hoogie, VDH
Nationality	Netherlands
Born	(1978-03-14) 14 March 1978 (age 47) Maastricht, Netherlands
Height	1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)
Weight	80 kg (176 lb)
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Strokes	Freestyle
Medal record Men's swimming Representing the  Netherlands Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 3 2 2 World Championships (LC) 0 8 2 World Championships (SC) 1 1 1 Goodwill Games 2 0 2 European Championships (LC) 10 5 4 European Championships (SC) 8 4 3 Olympic Games Gold 2000 Sydney 100 m freestyle Gold 2000 Sydney 200 m freestyle Gold 2004 Athens 100 m freestyle Silver 2004 Athens 200 m freestyle Silver 2004 Athens 4×100 m freestyle Bronze 2000 Sydney 50 m freestyle Bronze 2000 Sydney 4×200 m freestyle World Championships (LC) Silver 1998 Perth 4×200 m freestyle Silver 2001 Fukuoka 50 m freestyle Silver 2001 Fukuoka 100 m freestyle Silver 2001 Fukuoka 200 m freestyle Silver 2001 Fukuoka 4×100 m freestyle Silver 2003 Barcelona 100 m freestyle Silver 2003 Barcelona 200 m freestyle Silver 2007 Melbourne 200 m freestyle Bronze 1998 Perth 200 m freestyle Bronze 2003 Barcelona 50 m freestyle World Championships (SC) Gold 1999 Hong Kong 4×200 m freestyle Silver 1999 Hong Kong 4×100 m freestyle Bronze 1999 Hong Kong 200 m freestyle Goodwill Games Gold 1998 New York 200 m freestyle Gold 1998 New York 4×100 m freestyle Bronze 1998 New York 100 m freestyle Bronze 2001 Brisbane 4×100 m medley European Championships (LC) Gold 1999 Istanbul 50 m freestyle Gold 1999 Istanbul 100 m freestyle Gold 1999 Istanbul 200 m freestyle Gold 1999 Istanbul 50 m butterfly Gold 1999 Istanbul 4×100 m freestyle Gold 1999 Istanbul 4×100 m medley Gold 2002 Berlin 100 m freestyle Gold 2002 Berlin 200 m freestyle Gold 2004 Madrid 200 m freestyle Gold 2006 Budapest 200 m freestyle Silver 1997 Seville 4×200 m freestyle Silver 2000 Helsinki 50 m freestyle Silver 2000 Helsinki 100 m freestyle Silver 2000 Helsinki 200 m freestyle Silver 2004 Madrid 100 m freestyle Bronze 1997 Seville 4×100 m freestyle Bronze 2000 Helsinki 4×200 m freestyle Bronze 2006 Budapest 100 m freestyle Bronze 2008 Eindhoven 4×100 m freestyle European Championships (SC) Gold 1998 Sheffield 200 m freestyle Gold 1998 Sheffield 4×50 m freestyle Gold 1999 Lisbon 100 m freestyle Gold 1999 Lisbon 200 m freestyle Gold 2001 Antwerp 200 m freestyle Gold 2003 Dublin 100 m freestyle Gold 2003 Dublin 200 m freestyle Gold 2003 Dublin 4×50 m freestyle Silver 1998 Sheffield 100 m freestyle Silver 1999 Lisbon 50 m freestyle Silver 2001 Antwerp 100 m freestyle Silver 2001 Antwerp 4×50 m freestyle Bronze 1998 Sheffield 50 m freestyle Bronze 1999 Lisbon 4×50 m freestyle Bronze 2001 Antwerp 50 m freestyle

Pieter Cornelis Martijn van den Hoogenband (born 14 March 1978) is a retired Dutch swimmer who was a three-time Olympic champion. He was also a world record holder, earning him nicknames like "The Flying Dutchman" and "The Dutch Dolphin."

Early Life and Family

Pieter was born in Maastricht, Netherlands. His mother, Astrid Verver, was a talented swimmer herself. She won a silver medal in the 800-meter freestyle at the European Junior Championships. His father, Cees-Rein van den Hoogenband, was a team doctor for the PSV Eindhoven football club.

Pieter grew up in Geldrop and started swimming for the PSV club. He looked up to the famous Russian swimmer Alexander Popov, who had won four Olympic gold medals.

Swimming Career

Pieter's mother, who coached the Dutch team, saw that the swimmers had great potential but needed more support. She encouraged his father to help. His father created a foundation and found sponsors like Philips, Nike, and Speedo. This helped create a swim school in Eindhoven and build a strong team.

Pieter is the only male swimmer from the Netherlands to win an Olympic gold medal in a pool. He is also the only swimmer ever to win both the 100-meter and 200-meter freestyle races at the same Olympics, and then win the 100-meter freestyle again at the next Olympics.

First Olympic Games in 1996

Pieter made his first big splash on the world stage at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. He was only 18 years old but surprised everyone by finishing in 4th place in both the 100-meter and 200-meter freestyle races.

2000 Sydney Olympics

The 2000 Olympics in Sydney were a huge moment for Pieter. He was a top contender, but he had tough competition. In the 200-meter freestyle, he raced against Australian star Ian Thorpe, who was the world record holder and a favorite in his home country.

In the semi-finals, Pieter broke the world record. In the exciting final race, he matched his record-breaking time and won the gold medal. He also set a new world record in the 100-meter freestyle semi-finals and went on to win his second gold medal. He even beat his hero, Alexander Popov. Pieter's 100-meter world record lasted for almost eight years. He also won two bronze medals at these games.

Because of his amazing success, Pieter was named World Swimmer of the Year in 2000.

2001 World Championships

At the 2001 World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, Pieter continued to show his skill. He won four silver medals in the 50-meter, 100-meter, and 200-meter freestyle races, as well as in the 4x100-meter freestyle relay.

2004 Athens Olympics

At the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Pieter won another gold medal in the 100-meter freestyle. He also earned two silver medals in the 200-meter freestyle and the 4x100-meter freestyle relay. He famously competed against American swimmer Michael Phelps and finished ahead of him in two different events.

Final Olympic Games in 2008

Pieter competed in his last Olympics in Beijing in 2008. He made it to the final of the 100-meter freestyle, finishing in fifth place. By reaching this final, he became the first swimmer in history to compete in the same Olympic event final four times. He announced his retirement from swimming after this race.

Life After Swimming

The Pieter van den Hoogenband Zwemstadion in Eindhoven is named in his honor.

After retiring, Pieter has stayed involved in the world of sports. He has worked as a TV commentator for swimming events, including the 2012 London Olympics. To honor his amazing career, the swimming arena in Eindhoven was named the "Pieter van den Hoogenband Zwemstadion."

He also served as the Chef de Mission (team leader) for the Dutch Olympic team at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

Personal Life

Pieter was married to former swimmer Minouche Smit, and they have two children together. The couple announced their divorce in 2012. He later married Marie-José Crooijmans in 2016.

Even though they were rivals in the pool, Pieter is good friends with Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe.

See also

In Spanish: Pieter van den Hoogenband para niños

• Dutch records in swimming
• List of multiple Olympic medalists at a single Games