Simon Burnett facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Simon Burnett

Personal information
Born	(1983-04-14) 14 April 1983 (age 42) Oxford, England
Height	1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)
Weight	83 kg (183 lb)
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Strokes	Freestyle
Club	Wycombe District
College team	University of Arizona (U.S.)
Medal record Men's swimming Representing Great Britain European Championships (LC) Silver 2006 Budapest 4×200 m freestyle Bronze 2006 Budapest 4×100 m medley Representing  England Commonwealth Games Gold 2006 Melbourne 100 m freestyle Gold 2006 Melbourne 4×200 m freestyle Silver 2006 Melbourne 200 m freestyle Silver 2010 Delhi 100 m freestyle Silver 4×100 m freestyle {{{2}}} Bronze 2002 Manchester 4×200 m freestyle Bronze 4×100 m medley {{{2}}}

Simon Andrew Burnett was born on April 14, 1983. He is a former swimmer from England. Simon represented Great Britain in big events like the Olympics. He also swam for England in the Commonwealth Games.

Simon used to hold the British records for the 100-meter and 200-meter freestyle swims. He studied and swam at the University of Arizona in the United States. This was from 2001 to 2006. In 2007, he signed a deal with the sports company Nike.

Simon's Swimming Journey

Simon was born in Oxford, England. He grew up in small villages nearby, like Chinnor and Tetsworth. He went to Lord Williams's School and later John Hampden Grammar School.

Simon started swimming at a very young age. He joined the Wycombe District Swimming Club. His coach, Bob Pay, helped him a lot. In 2003, Simon got a sports scholarship. This allowed him to study business at the University of Arizona.

Early Competitions and Medals

Simon began swimming internationally in 2000. He first competed in the 3 Nations Junior International. In 2001 and 2002, he won gold medals. These were in the 50-meter backstroke at the ASA National Championships.

In 2003, Simon changed his focus to freestyle swimming. He quickly became very good at it. His first time on TV was in 2002. This was at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester. There, he won a bronze medal in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay.

Olympic Dreams and British Records

At the next Olympic Games, Simon finished 7th in the 200-meter freestyle. His team also came in 4th in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay. They were very close to winning a bronze medal.

Before the Olympics, Simon had a great time at the British trials. He won a silver medal in the 100-meter freestyle. He also won a gold medal in the 200-meter freestyle. This was amazing because he had broken his wrist just two months before. Simon was becoming a top British swimmer.

While swimming for the University of Arizona, Simon competed in the American NCAAs. He won gold in the 200-yard freestyle in his first year. He won again in 2005. That year was one of his best. He returned to England for the ASA National Championships. He won three gold medals there. These were in the 50-meter, 100-meter, and 200-meter freestyle events. All of these were new British records.

In the United States, he also broke a 17-year-old record. This was for the 200-yard freestyle. He swam it in 1 minute and 32.22 seconds.

Commonwealth Games Success

At the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Simon won a silver medal. This was in the 200-meter freestyle. His teammate, Ross Davenport, won the gold. Simon was also part of the 4×100-meter freestyle relay team. They finished fourth.

However, the 4×200-meter freestyle race was very exciting. The English team won the gold medal! They beat Scotland and Australia. The next day, Simon won an individual gold medal. This was in the 100-meter freestyle. He beat famous swimmers like Ryk Neethling. Simon set a new Commonwealth Games record. He also broke his own British record.

Setting New Records

After the Commonwealth Games, Simon went to Atlanta. He competed in the 2006 NCAA championships. He finished third in the 50-yard freestyle. He was second in the 4×50-yard freestyle relay. He also won first place in the 4×50-yard medley for his team.

Simon won the NCAA title in the 200-yard freestyle. He set a new U.S. Open Record with a time of 1 minute and 31.20 seconds. This record stood for 10 years! It was finally broken in 2016 by Townley Haas.

Simon also represented Great Britain at the 2008 Summer Olympics. He swam in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay event.

Helping Others

In March 2009, Simon became a patron for the new Thame Swimming Club. He visits the swimmers and helps them train. In 2010, Simon became a patron for UCARE. This is a charity that helps with urology cancer research. Simon is very dedicated to UCARE. He even dedicated one of his medals to the charity.

Coaching Career

In June 2015, Simon Burnett started a new role. He joined the Pacific Tigers men's swimming and diving team. He worked there as an assistant coach.

Simon's Best Times

Here are some of Simon's fastest swimming times:

Long course (50 m pool)

Short course (25 m pool)

More About Swimming

• List of British records in swimming
• List of Commonwealth Games medallists in swimming (men)

See also

In Spanish: Simon Burnett para niños