Janine Pietsch
Encyclopedia
Janine Pietsch is a German
backstroke swimmer. In the course of her career, she competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics
in Athens
, won two gold medals on the short course
at the 2006 FINA World Swimming Championships, and four European gold medals.
, the 100 m backstroke. She finished seventh in her heat, and 23rd overall.
at the 2006 FINA World Swimming Championships, where she won two gold medals, the 50m backstroke, and the 100m backstroke. Interestingly, she won both gold medals by exactly a quarter of a second over second place.
In Budapest
at the long-course 2006 European Aquatics Championships in late Summer, she won a gold medal in the 50m backstroke, and a bronze in the 100m backstroke. That December in Helsinki
at the 2006 short-course European championships
, she won two more gold medals, the 50 m backstroke and 4x50m medley. In her last international success to date, at the 2007 short-course European championships
she won gold in the 4x50m relay, silver in the 50m backstroke, and bronze in the 100m backstroke.
as a result. However, she has not ruled out trying to qualify for the 2012 London Olympics
. She is currently single. In 2010 she became a patron of the St. Mary's Hospital in Stuttgart
.
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...
backstroke swimmer. In the course of her career, she competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, won two gold medals on the short course
Short course
In Swimming, the term Short Course is used to identify a pool that is 25 metres in length. The term is also often included in meet names when conducted in a short course pool...
at the 2006 FINA World Swimming Championships, and four European gold medals.
2001–2005
Pietsch's first success on an international stage was at the 2001 European Short Course Swimming Championships in Antwerp, where she won one silver medal, in the 4x50m medley and three bronze medals, in the 50m backstroke, 100m backstroke, and 4x100m freestyle relay. She would win another silver and two more bronze medals the next year in 2002. Between 2003 and 2005 she would win a further five silvers and one bronze in three European short course championships. In 2004, she competed in her only Olympic race2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
, the 100 m backstroke. She finished seventh in her heat, and 23rd overall.
2006–2007
2006 was the best year of her career. In April she competed in ShanghaiShanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
at the 2006 FINA World Swimming Championships, where she won two gold medals, the 50m backstroke, and the 100m backstroke. Interestingly, she won both gold medals by exactly a quarter of a second over second place.
In Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
at the long-course 2006 European Aquatics Championships in late Summer, she won a gold medal in the 50m backstroke, and a bronze in the 100m backstroke. That December in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
at the 2006 short-course European championships
European Short Course Swimming Championships 2006
The European Short Course Swimming Championships 2006 were held in Helsinki, Finland, from Thursday 7 to Sunday 10 December. The venue of the event was the aquatic center of Mäkelänrinteen uintikeskus, which last hosted a major event at the pre-Olympic 2000 European Aquatics Championships.Three...
, she won two more gold medals, the 50 m backstroke and 4x50m medley. In her last international success to date, at the 2007 short-course European championships
European Short Course Swimming Championships 2007
The European Short Course Swimming Championships 2007 was the fifteenth edition of the European Short Course Swimming Championships, held in Debrecen, Hungary between 13–16 December...
she won gold in the 4x50m relay, silver in the 50m backstroke, and bronze in the 100m backstroke.
Semi-retirement and personal life
In 2008, Pietsch was diagnosed with breast cancer, and did not compete at the 2008 Summer Olympics2008 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...
as a result. However, she has not ruled out trying to qualify for the 2012 London Olympics
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the "London 2012 Olympic Games", are scheduled to take place in London, England, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012...
. She is currently single. In 2010 she became a patron of the St. Mary's Hospital in Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
.