Ryan Napoleon facts for kids
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 26 May 1990 Sydney, Australia |
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| Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 84 kg (185 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Swimming | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Strokes | Freestyle, butterfly | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Palm Beach Currumbin St Peters Western |
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| Coach | Richard Scarce | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Ryan Napoleon (born 26 May 1990) is an Australian freestyle swimmer. He has won medals at the Commonwealth Games and other big swimming events.
Contents
Swimming Career
Early Achievements
Ryan started his swimming career with great success. At the Australian Youth Olympic Festival, he won a gold medal in the 4 × 200 m freestyle relay. He also earned a silver medal in the 4 × 100 m medley relay and a bronze in the 100m butterfly.
In 2008, Ryan competed at the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games in India. He won four gold medals there! These were for the 200m freestyle, 4 × 100 m freestyle, 4 × 200 m freestyle, and 4 × 100 m medley relays. He also took home a silver medal in the 100m freestyle.
Later that year, at the 2008 Oceania Swimming Championships in New Zealand, Ryan continued to shine. He won a gold medal in the 4 × 200 m relay and a bronze in the 200m butterfly.
In 2009, Ryan became the national champion in the 1500m freestyle event at the 2009 Australian Swimming Championships. This made him one of Australia's fastest swimmers ever in that race.
World Championships and Major Events
Ryan competed at the 2009 World Championships. He finished 11th in the 1500m freestyle, 12th in the 800m freestyle, and 21st in the 400m freestyle.
At the 2010 Australian Swimming Championships, Ryan won three silver medals. These were in the 400m, 800m, and 1500m freestyle events.
Later in 2010, Ryan competed at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships. He placed 9th in the 1500m and 6th in the 400m freestyle.
Commonwealth Games Success
Ryan had a fantastic performance at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi. He won a silver medal in the 400m freestyle. He also helped his team win a gold medal in the 4 × 200 m freestyle relay.
| 2010 Commonwealth Games Results | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Medals: 2 (1 Gold, 1 Silver) | |||
| Event | Time | Place | |
| 400 m freestyle | 3:48.59 | Silver | |
| 1500 m freestyle | 15:28.70 | 6th | |
| 4 × 200 m freestyle relay | 7:10.29 | Gold | |
Australian Championships and Olympic Dream
In 2011, Ryan won the 400m freestyle at the 2011 Australian Swimming Championships. His time of 3:45.16 made him the fourth fastest Australian 1500m swimmer ever. Only Olympic champions Ian Thorpe, Grant Hackett, and Kieren Perkins had been faster.
| 2011 Australian Swimming Championships Results | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Medals: 3 (2 Gold, 1 Bronze) | |||
| Event | Time | Place | |
| 200 m freestyle | 1:47.68 | Bronze | |
| 400 m freestyle | 3:45.16 | Gold | |
| 800 m freestyle relay | 7:55.20 | Gold | |
At the 2011 World Championships, Ryan finished 13th in both the men's 400m and 800m freestyle events.
Qualifying for the Olympics
Ryan achieved his dream of joining the Olympic team in 2012. He earned second place in the men's 400m freestyle at the 2012 Australian Swimming Championships. During this event, he raced against famous Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe. Ryan swam very well, becoming the top qualifier in his heat and winning his semi-final race.
He also placed 5th in the 200m freestyle, which is a very competitive event. This earned him a spot on the men's 4 × 200 m relay team for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
| 2012 Australian Swimming Championships Results | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Medals: 1 (1 Silver) | |||
| Event | Time | Place | |
| 200 m freestyle | 1:47.66 | 5th | |
| 400 m freestyle | 3:47.93 | Silver | |
At the 2012 London Olympics, Ryan finished 8th in the 400m freestyle. He was also part of the Australian team that finished 5th in the 4 × 200 m freestyle relay.
A Rule Challenge
Before the 2010 Commonwealth Games, Ryan faced a challenge. The swimming organization FINA gave him a temporary ban. This was because of a drug test taken in 2009. FINA agreed that Ryan had made an honest mistake. He had taken asthma medicine that was wrongly labeled.
Even though it was a mistake, the rules meant he couldn't train with his team or compete for three months. Ryan appealed this decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The court agreed to change the start date of his ban. This meant he could compete in the Commonwealth Games. Despite missing some training, he still won a silver medal in the 400m freestyle and a gold medal in the 4 × 200 m relay!
See also
In Spanish: Ryan Napoleon para niños
- List of Commonwealth Games medallists in swimming (men)
