Britta Steffen
Encyclopedia
Britta Steffen is a German
swimmer who specializes in freestyle
, who is the current holder of the world record in women's 50 and 100 metre freestyle.
In 1999 Steffen won six titles at the European junior championships, and won a medal as a member of Germany's freestyle relay team at the Summer Olympics 2000
. In 2004, she asked to swim the 4×100 m relay. But after the Olympics, she took one year off swimming and concentrated on her studies, which were not finished.
At the Championships in Budapest on 2 August 2006, Steffen clocked 53.30 in the women's 100 m freestyle event, breaking the world record and upstaging the previous record of 53.42 set by Libby Lenton
of Australia. Even though Libby swam a time of 52.99 on 4 April 2007 during the mixed 400 metre freestyle relay, this time was not recognized by the FINA as world record, because the race is not considered to be a FINA event.
At the same championships, Steffen was part of two world record-breaking relay teams. First, the German 4×100 m women's relay team of Dallmann
, Goetz, Steffen and Liebs
took the Australian 4×100 m freestyle relay (Mills
, Lenton, Thomas
and Henry
) world record of 3:35.94, clocking a time of 3:35.22. The German women's relay team of Dallman, Samulski
, Steffen and Liebs, then swam a time of 7:50.82 to take the previous US 4×200 m freestyle relay (Coughlin
, Piper
, Vollmer
and Sandeno
) world record that stood at 7:53.42. She had recently participated in the FINA World Championships in Melbourne where she finished third in the 100 metre freestyle event and second in the 4×200 metre freestyle relay.
During the 2008 Summer Olympic Games
in Beijing
, China, Steffen won the 100-meter freestyle, catching world record-holder Libby Trickett of Australia
at the last stroke. Steffen touched in 53.12 seconds, bettering her own Olympic record of 53.38 set on the leadoff leg of the 4×100 m freestyle relay. Steffen then edged out Dara Torres
to win the 50-meter freestyle gold with a time of 24.06 seconds, winning by 0.01 seconds.
At the World Championships in Rome on 31 July 2009, Steffen clocked 52.07 in the women's 100 m freestyle event, breaking the world record and upstaging the previous record of 52.22 set by herself four days before. Two days later on 2 August 2009, Steffen won her second title in the women's 50 m freestyle event, breaking the world record with a time of 23.73 seconds.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
swimmer who specializes in freestyle
Freestyle swimming
Freestyle is an unregulated swimming style used in swimming competitions according to the rules of FINA. The front crawl stroke is almost universally used during a freestyle race, as this style is generally the fastest...
, who is the current holder of the world record in women's 50 and 100 metre freestyle.
In 1999 Steffen won six titles at the European junior championships, and won a medal as a member of Germany's freestyle relay team at the Summer Olympics 2000
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
. In 2004, she asked to swim the 4×100 m relay. But after the Olympics, she took one year off swimming and concentrated on her studies, which were not finished.
At the Championships in Budapest on 2 August 2006, Steffen clocked 53.30 in the women's 100 m freestyle event, breaking the world record and upstaging the previous record of 53.42 set by Libby Lenton
Libby Lenton
Lisbeth "Libby" Constance Trickett OAM is a world record holding and Olympic gold medalist swimmer from Australia. She was a gold medallist at both the 2004 Summer Olympics and the 2008 Summer Olympics. She is the world record holder in the short-course 100 metres freestyle...
of Australia. Even though Libby swam a time of 52.99 on 4 April 2007 during the mixed 400 metre freestyle relay, this time was not recognized by the FINA as world record, because the race is not considered to be a FINA event.
At the same championships, Steffen was part of two world record-breaking relay teams. First, the German 4×100 m women's relay team of Dallmann
Petra Dallmann
Petra Dallmann is a German swimmer. She won a Bronze medal in 2004 Olympics...
, Goetz, Steffen and Liebs
Annika Liebs
Annika Liebs Lurz is an Olympic and former World Record-holding swimmer from Germany. She swam for her homeland at the 2008 Olympics....
took the Australian 4×100 m freestyle relay (Mills
Alice Mills
Alice Mary Mills OAM is an Australian sprint freestyle, butterfly and individual medley swimmer who represented Australia at the 2004 Athens Olympics, winning two relay gold medals....
, Lenton, Thomas
Petria Thomas
Petria Ann Thomas OAM is an Australian swimmer and Olympic gold medallist and a winner of 15 national titles. She was born in Lismore, New South Wales and grew up in the nearby town of Mullumbimby....
and Henry
Jodie Henry
Jodie Clare Henry OAM is an Australian swimmer, Olympic gold medalist and former world-record holder.-Swimming career:Jodie Henry began swimming competitively at the relatively late age of 14....
) world record of 3:35.94, clocking a time of 3:35.22. The German women's relay team of Dallman, Samulski
Daniela Samulski
Daniela Samulski is a German swimmer who has competed at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney and the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.-External links:*...
, Steffen and Liebs, then swam a time of 7:50.82 to take the previous US 4×200 m freestyle relay (Coughlin
Natalie Coughlin
Natalie Anne Coughlin is an American swimmer and eleven-time Olympic medallist.At the 2008 Summer Olympics, Coughlin became the first American female athlete in modern Olympic history to win six medals in one Olympics and the first woman ever to win a 100 m backstroke gold in two consecutive...
, Piper
Carly Piper
Carly Piper is an American swimmer and Olympic gold medalist. As part of the American team, she held the world record in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay .-Personal:...
, Vollmer
Dana Vollmer
Dana Vollmer is an American college and international swimmer and Olympic gold medalist. At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece she won a gold medal in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay with Natalie Coughlin, Kaitlin Sandeno, and Carly Piper that set the world record in the event.She has won...
and Sandeno
Kaitlin Sandeno
Kaitlin Sandeno is a retired American swimmer, and was part of the team that set the world record in the 4x200 m freestyle relay at the 2004 Summer Olympics.-Career:...
) world record that stood at 7:53.42. She had recently participated in the FINA World Championships in Melbourne where she finished third in the 100 metre freestyle event and second in the 4×200 metre freestyle relay.
During the 2008 Summer Olympic Games
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, China, Steffen won the 100-meter freestyle, catching world record-holder Libby Trickett of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
at the last stroke. Steffen touched in 53.12 seconds, bettering her own Olympic record of 53.38 set on the leadoff leg of the 4×100 m freestyle relay. Steffen then edged out Dara Torres
Dara Torres
Dara Grace Torres is an American international swimmer and a twelve-time Olympic medalist. Torres was the first swimmer from the United States to compete in five Olympic Games , and, at age 41, the oldest swimmer ever to earn a place on the U.S. Olympic team...
to win the 50-meter freestyle gold with a time of 24.06 seconds, winning by 0.01 seconds.
At the World Championships in Rome on 31 July 2009, Steffen clocked 52.07 in the women's 100 m freestyle event, breaking the world record and upstaging the previous record of 52.22 set by herself four days before. Two days later on 2 August 2009, Steffen won her second title in the women's 50 m freestyle event, breaking the world record with a time of 23.73 seconds.