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
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 March 14, 1978) is a famous Dutch swimmer who has now retired. He won three Olympic gold medals and used to hold world records in swimming. People sometimes called him "The Flying Dutchman" or "The Dutch Dolphin" because of how fast he swam!

Early Life and Training

Pieter was born in Maastricht, Netherlands. His mom, Astrid Verver, was also a great swimmer. She won a silver medal in the 800-meter freestyle at the European Junior Championships. Pieter grew up in Geldrop and swam for the PSV Eindhoven club. His dad was a doctor for the professional football team of the same club.

Pieter looked up to Alexander Popov, a Russian swimmer who won four Olympic gold medals.

Getting Support for Dutch Swimmers

In 1993, Pieter started to show how talented he was at the European Youth Olympic Days. His mom, who was coaching the Dutch team, felt that the swimmers needed more help to reach their full potential. So, Pieter's dad helped create a special group to raise money. They got sponsors like Philips, Nike, and Speedo.

This money helped open a swim school in Eindhoven, where Pieter lived. The team grew, and Pieter, along with fellow Dutch swimmer Inge de Bruijn, brought many victories to the Netherlands.

Pieter is the only swimmer ever to win both the 100-meter and 200-meter freestyle races at the Olympics and then win the 100-meter freestyle again at another Olympics. His three Olympic gold medals are the only ones won by a Dutch male swimmer in the pool.

Pieter's Swimming Career

First Olympic Games: Atlanta 1996

Pieter's big moment on the world stage came at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. He was only 18 years old. He surprised many people by finishing fourth in both the 100-meter and 200-meter freestyle races. He also swam in several relay races.

World Championships: Perth 1998

At the 1998 World Championships in Australia, Pieter won a bronze medal in the 200-meter freestyle. He also helped his team win a silver medal in the 4x200-meter freestyle relay.

Sydney 2000: Olympic Gold!

After winning six gold medals at the 1999 European Championships, Pieter was a top favorite for the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.

• 200m Freestyle: He faced Ian Thorpe, a young Australian swimmer and world record holder. In the semi-finals, Pieter set a new world record! In the exciting final, he swam just as fast to win the gold medal.
• 100m Freestyle: Pieter set another world record in the semi-finals and won his second gold medal. He beat Alexander Popov, who had won this race in the 1992 and 1996 Olympics. Pieter's 100m world record lasted until 2008.
• Other Medals: He also won two bronze medals in the 50-meter freestyle and the 4x200-meter freestyle relay.

Pieter was named Dutch Sportsman of the Year in 1999, 2000, and 2004. He was also named World Swimmer of the Year in 2000 and European Swimmer of the Year several times.

World Championships: Fukuoka 2001

At the 2001 World Championships in Japan, Pieter won four silver medals. He earned them in the 50m, 100m, and 200m freestyle races, and in the 4x100m freestyle relay.

World Championships: Barcelona 2003

At the 2003 World Championships in Spain, Pieter won two silver medals in the 100m and 200m freestyle. He also took home a bronze medal in the 50m freestyle.

Athens 2004: More Olympic Glory

At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Pieter continued his success:

• 100m Freestyle: He won another gold medal in the 100-meter freestyle.
• Silver Medals: He also won two silver medals in the 200-meter freestyle and the 4x100-meter freestyle relay.

Pieter is the only swimmer to have beaten Michael Phelps twice in Olympic races.

World Championships: Melbourne 2007

At the 2007 World Championships in Australia, Pieter won a silver medal in the 200-meter freestyle, finishing behind Michael Phelps. He holds the record for the most second-place finishes at the World Championships without winning a gold.

Beijing 2008: Retirement

Pieter competed in his last Olympic Games in 2008 in Beijing. He finished fifth in the 100-meter freestyle. After this race, he announced his retirement from competitive swimming. In the semi-finals, he even broke his own national record from the 2000 Olympics!

Pieter was the first swimmer to reach the finals in the same event four times at the Olympics.

Pieter van den Hoogenband Zwemstadion in Eindhoven

Life After Swimming

Even after retiring, Pieter still enjoys swimming for fun. He also stays active in the sports world. He has worked as a commentator for many swimming events, including the 2012 Summer Olympics. The swimming center in Eindhoven, where he trained, is now named the "Pieter van den Hoogenband Zwemstadion" in his honor.

Pieter was also the leader for the Dutch Olympic team for the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Personal Life

Pieter was married to Minouche Smit, who was also a swimmer, and they have two children. They later divorced. He then dated Ranomi Kromowidjojo, another Olympic gold medalist, but their relationship ended in 2014. In 2016, Pieter married Marie-José Crooijmans.

Even though they were big rivals in the pool, Pieter is good friends with Australian Olympic 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