Therese Alshammar facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Therese Alshammar

Therese Alshammar in January 2013
Personal information
Nickname(s)	Tessan
Nationality	Sweden
Born	(1977-08-26) 26 August 1977 (age 47) Solna, Sweden
Height	1.82 m (5 ft 12 in)
Weight	61 kg (134 lb)
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Strokes	butterfly, freestyle
Club	Täby Sim
College team	Nebraska Cornhuskers (1997–1999)
Medal record Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 0 2 1 World Championships (LC) 2 5 1 World Championships (SC) 10 3 4 European Aquatics Championships (LC) 10 7 4 European Aquatics Championships (SC) 15 6 1 Total 37 23 11 Olympic Games Silver 2000 Sydney 50 m freestyle Silver 2000 Sydney 100 m freestyle Bronze 2000 Sydney 4×100 m freestyle World Championships (LC) Gold 2007 Melbourne 50 m butterfly Gold 2011 Shanghai 50 m freestyle Silver 2001 Fukuoka 50 m freestyle Silver 2001 Fukuoka 50 m butterfly Silver 2007 Melbourne 50 m freestyle Silver 2009 Rome 50 m freestyle Silver 2011 Shanghai 50 m butterfly Bronze 2005 Montréal 50 m butterfly World Championships (SC) Gold 2000 Athens 50 m freestyle Gold 2000 Athens 100 m freestyle Gold 2000 Athens 4×100 m freestyle Gold 2000 Athens 4×100 m medley Gold 2002 Moscow 50 m freestyle Gold 2002 Moscow 100 m freestyle Gold 2002 Moscow 4×100 m freestyle Gold 2002 Moscow 4×100 m medley Gold 2006 Shanghai 50 m butterfly Gold 2010 Dubai 50 m butterfly Silver 2004 Indianapolis 4×100 m freestyle Silver 2006 Shanghai 50 m freestyle Silver 2010 Dubai 100 m butterfly Bronze 1997 Gothenburg 4×100 m freestyle Bronze 1999 Hong Kong 4×100 m medley Bronze 2004 Indianapolis 50 m freestyle Bronze 2006 Shanghai 4×100 m freestyle European Aquatics Championships (LC) Gold 1999 Istanbul 4×100 m medley Gold 2000 Helsinki 50 m freestyle Gold 2000 Helsinki 100 m freestyle Gold 2000 Helsinki 4×100 m freestyle Gold 2000 Helsinki 4×100 m medley Gold 2002 Berlin 50 m freestyle Gold 2004 Madrid 50 m freestyle Gold 2006 Budapest 50 m butterfly Gold 2010 Budapest 50 m butterfly Gold 2010 Budapest 50 m freestyle Silver 1997 Seville 4×100 m freestyle Silver 1999 Istanbul 50 m freestyle Silver 1999 Istanbul 4×100 m freestyle Silver 2002 Berlin 4×100 m freestyle Silver 2002 Berlin 4×100 m medley Silver 2006 Budapest 50 m freestyle Silver 2010 Budapest 4x100 m medley Bronze 1997 Seville 50 m freestyle Bronze 2008 Eindhoven 50 m freestyle Bronze 2010 Budapest 4×100 m freestyle Bronze 2010 Budapest 100 m butterfly European Aquatics Championships (SC) Gold 1999 Lisbon 50 m freestyle Gold 1999 Lisbon 100 m freestyle Gold 1999 Lisbon 4x50 m freestyle Gold 1999 Lisbon 4x50 m medley Gold 2000 Valencia 50 m freestyle Gold 2000 Valencia 100 m freestyle Gold 2000 Valencia 4x50 m freestyle Gold 2000 Valencia 4x50 m medley Gold 2001 Antwerp 50 m butterfly Gold 2001 Antwerp 4x50 m freestyle Gold 2001 Antwerp 4x50 m medley Gold 2002 Riesa 4x50 m freestyle Gold 2002 Riesa 4x50 m medley Gold 2006 Helsinki 50 m butterfly Gold 2006 Helsinki 4x50 m freestyle Silver 1998 Sheffield 50 m backstroke Silver 1998 Sheffield 4x50 m medley Silver 2001 Antwerp 50 m freestyle Silver 2005 Trieste 4x50 m freestyle Silver 2006 Helsinki 50 m freestyle Silver 2006 Helsinki 4x50 m medley Bronze 2005 Trieste 4x50 m medley

Malin Therese Alshammar, born on August 26, 1977, is a famous swimmer from Sweden. She is known for winning many medals in swimming competitions around the world. Therese has won three Olympic medals, 25 medals at World Championships, and 43 medals at European Championships! She is especially good at short-distance races in freestyle and butterfly swimming. Her coach is Johan Wallberg, who was also a swimmer. Therese is also special because she was the first woman swimmer to compete in six Olympic Games. Only two other male swimmers have done this.

Therese Alshammar's Early Life and Career

Therese Alshammar was born in Solna, Sweden, in 1977. Her mother, Britt-Marie Smedh, was also an Olympic swimmer. Therese started swimming with the Sundbybergs IK team.

When she was younger, Therese was a backstroke swimmer. In 1991, at 14 years old, she won her first national title. This was for the 50-meter backstroke in a short course pool. The next year, she won her first major national title in the 100-meter backstroke.

First International Competitions

Therese joined the Swedish team for the 1993 European Championships. She finished fourth in the 100-meter backstroke final. She also competed in the first World Short Course Championships. There, she helped her team win a silver medal in the 4x100-meter freestyle relay.

She started to become well-known internationally after the 1994 World Aquatics Championships. She reached the semifinals in the 100-meter backstroke. At the 1996 Olympics, she also made it to the semifinals in this event.

Swimming in the United States

In 1997, Therese moved to the United States to study at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. She also swam for the Nebraska Cornhuskers swimming and diving team. While there, she won a gold medal in the 100-yard freestyle in 1999. She also earned a silver medal in a relay race in 1998.

Therese also trained at The Race Club. This club was started by Olympic swimmers Gary Hall Jr. and his father, Gary Hall Sr.. It was a special training group for top swimmers from around the world. They prepared for the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. To join, swimmers had to be ranked very high in the world or in their home country.

Olympic and World Championship Success

Therese won her first international medal, a bronze, in the 50-meter freestyle at the 1997 European Championships. This stroke became her specialty. She won a silver medal in the same event at the 1999 European Championships.

Breaking Through at the Olympics

Therese became a top swimmer at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. She won two silver medals in the 50-meter and 100-meter freestyle races. She also won a bronze medal with the Swedish relay team.

After the Sydney Olympics, she became a favorite in short-distance races at big international events. At the 2001 World Championships, she won two silver medals. These were in the 50-meter freestyle and 50-meter butterfly. In 2002, she won the 50-meter freestyle at the European Championships in Berlin.

Later World Championship Wins

In 2003, Therese focused on preparing for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. She just missed a medal, finishing fourth in the 50-meter freestyle.

At the 2005 World Aquatics Championships, she won a bronze medal in the 50-meter butterfly. She then won a gold medal in the same event at the World Championships in Shanghai in 2011. By winning three individual events in 2006, she became the Swedish swimmer with the most individual gold medals at national championships. She had won 73 gold medals by then.

On March 17, 2009, Therese broke her own world record in the 50-meter butterfly. However, she was later disqualified for wearing two swimsuits. This was against a new rule that had just been made. She understood the rule after it was explained to her.

On July 31, 2011, she won the gold medal in the 50-meter freestyle at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships. This made her the oldest woman to win an individual gold medal at a long-course world championship.

Competing in Six Olympic Games

At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Therese competed in the 50-meter freestyle. She finished in 6th place.

In June 2016, she made history by becoming the first female swimmer to compete in six Olympic Games. Only two male swimmers had done this before her. At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, she competed in the 50-meter freestyle. She finished 15th in the semifinals and did not reach the final. Therese was also chosen to carry the flag for Sweden at the opening ceremony of the 2016 Olympics.

Therese Alshammar's Personal Life

Therese Alshammar is in a relationship with her coach, Johan Wallberg. They became parents to a son in June 2013. In 2018, she took part in the TV show Let's Dance in Sweden. She grew up in Duvbo, a part of Sundbyberg Municipality.

Awards and Recognition

Therese Alshammar has received many awards for her amazing swimming career:

• Radiosportens Jerringpris: 2010
• Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal: 2011
• Victoria Scholarship: 2000
• FINA Swimmer of the Year: 2010
• H. M. The King's Medal 8:e with ribbon

Personal Best Swimming Times

These are Therese Alshammar's fastest times in different swimming events.

Long Course (50 m Pool)

Short Course (25 m Pool)

Swimming Clubs

Therese Alshammar has been a part of several swimming clubs throughout her career:

• Sundbybergs IK
• Stockholmspolisens IF
• Järfälla SS (until 1992)
• SK Neptun (1993–1995, 1996–2008)
• Helsingborgs SS (1996)
• Täby Sim (2008–present)

See also

In Spanish: Therese Alshammar para niños