Marcel Wouda
Encyclopedia
Marcel Reinier Wouda is a former Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

 swimmer, who became Holland's first world champion when he won the world title in the 200 m individual medley at the FINA
Fina
Fina may refer to:*Fina, a character in the Skies of Arcadia video game*FINA, the International Swimming Federation*FINA, the North American Forum on Integration...

 1998 World Aquatics Championships
1998 World Aquatics Championships
The 1998 World Aquatics Championships or the 8th FINA World Swimming Championships were held in Perth, Western Australia, Australia between 8 January and 17 January 1998....

 in Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....

, 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...

. He is currently the coach of Olympic Champions Maarten van der Weijden
Maarten van der Weijden
Maarten van der Weijden is a Dutch long distance and marathon swimmer born in Alkmaar.Van der Weijden was known as a promising swimming talent in his youth, becoming Dutch national champion at the 1500 m freestyle , 400 m freestyle and 5 km open water...

 and Hinkelien Schreuder
Hinkelien Schreuder
Hinkelien Schreuder is a butterfly, freestyle and backstroke swimmer from The Netherlands, who also competed in the medley events...

 at the Nationaal Zweminstituut Eindhoven.

Swimming career

Wouda grew up in Uden
Uden
Uden is a municipality and a town in the province of Noord-Brabant, Netherlands.- History :Uden was first recorded around 1190 as “Uthen”. However, earlier settlements have been found in the areas of the modern day Moleneind, Vorstenburg and Bitswijk and evidence of ice-age settlements has been...

, where he joined the 'De Zeester' swimming club at a very young age. His trainers were Martien Swinkels and Rob Kennis, who brought him to the top of Dutch swimming. Wouda made his Olympic debut at the 1992 Summer Olympics
1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...

, where he was the sole male in the Dutch squad of eight females ending 22nd in the 200 m individual medley and 19th in the 400 m individual medley.

Move to the United States

Afterwards he moved to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, where he joined University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...

 in Ann Arbor under the guidance of trainer-coach Jon Urbanchek
Jon Urbanchek
Jon Urbanchek is an American swimming coach, best known for his 22-year tenure as the Men's Swimming & Diving Head Coach for the University of Michigan...

, alongside swimmers like Eric Namesnik
Eric Namesnik
Eric John Namesnik was an Olympic swimmer for the United States.-Biography:He was born and raised in the town of Butler, Pennsylvania. Namesnik won silver medals in the 400-meter individual medley at both the 1992 Summer Olympics and 1996 Summer Olympics...

, Gustavo Borges
Gustavo Borges
Gustavo França Borges Gustavo França Borges Gustavo França Borges (born December 2, 1972 in Ribeirão Preto is a former international top swimmer from Brazil. He participated in four Summer Olympics for his native country, starting in 1992...

 and Tom Dolan
Tom Dolan
Tom Dolan is a swimmer from the United States, who won a gold medal and silver medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics and a gold medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics...

. At the European LC Championships 1993
European LC Championships 1993
The 1993 European Aquatics Championships were held in Sheffield, United Kingdom from Tuesday 3 August to Sunday 8 August, in the 50 m pool of the Ponds Forge International Sports Centre. The 21st edition of the event was organised by the LEN....

 in Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...

 he won the bronze medal in the 400 m individual medley.

Back to Brabant

Two years after he left Wouda moved back to the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

, where trainer-coach Jacco Verhaeren
Jacco Verhaeren
Jacco Verhaeren is a Dutch swimming coach. He is currently the sporting director of the Dutch swimming team and the Nationaal Zweminstituut Eindhoven. He is best known for guiding Pieter van den Hoogenband and Inge de Bruijn to Olympic gold medals...

 brought him back to the top. Wouda got his second Olympic selection when he qualified for the 1996 Summer Olympics
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....

. There he reached a 4th place in the 200 m individual medley and a 5th place in the 400 m individual medley, with the 4×200 m freestyle he ended 7th alongside Mark van der Zijden
Mark van der Zijden
Mark Richard van der Zijden is a former freestyle and medley swimmer from the Netherlands, who swam in the qualifying heats of the bronze winning 4×200 m freestyle relay team at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia...

, Martin van der Spoel
Martin van der Spoel
Martin Michel van der Spoel is a former freestyle and medley swimmer from the Netherlands, who competed for his native country at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. There he finished in tenth place in the 200m Individual Medley, and in fifth and seventh position with the Men's...

 and Pieter van den Hoogenband
Pieter van den Hoogenband
Pieter Cornelis Ruud Martijn van den Hoogenband is a Dutch former swimmer and a triple Olympic champion.-Personal life:...

. At the European LC Championships 1997
European LC Championships 1997
The 1997 LEN European Aquatics Championships were held in Seville, Spain from Tuesday 19 August to Sunday 24 August, in the 50 m pool of the Piscina Centro Deportivo San Pablo. The 23rd edition of the event was organised by the LEN...

 he became European champion in the 200 m and 400 m individual medley and won a silver medal in the 4×200 m freestyle together with Pieter van den Hoogenband, Mark van der Zijden and Martijn Zuijdweg
Martijn Zuijdweg
Martijn Hendrik Zuijdweg is a former freestyle swimmer from the Netherlands, who was a member of the Dutch 4×200 m freestyle relay Team that won the bronze medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. He did so alongside Johan Kenkhuis, Marcel Wouda and Pieter van den...

.

Becoming World Champion

At the 1998 World Aquatics Championships
1998 World Aquatics Championships
The 1998 World Aquatics Championships or the 8th FINA World Swimming Championships were held in Perth, Western Australia, Australia between 8 January and 17 January 1998....

 in Perth, Western Australia
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....

, 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...

 Wouda became world champion in the 200 m individual medley and won two silver medals in the 400 m individual medley and the 4×200 m freestyle alongside van den Hoogenband, van der Zijden and Zuijdweg. In April 1999 at the 1999 FINA Short Course World Championships
1999 FINA Short Course World Championships
The 4th FINA Short Course World Championships were held in Hong Kong Coliseum, Hong Kong from 1–4 April 1999.-50 m Freestyle:-100 m Freestyle:-200 m Freestyle:-400 m Freestyle:-1500 m Freestyle:-50 m Backstroke:-100 m Backstroke:...

 in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

, China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...

 Wouda won four medals. He became world champion in the 4×200 m freestyle alongside Pieter van den Hoogenband
Pieter van den Hoogenband
Pieter Cornelis Ruud Martijn van den Hoogenband is a Dutch former swimmer and a triple Olympic champion.-Personal life:...

, Johan Kenkhuis
Johan Kenkhuis
Johan Kenkhuis is an Olympic medal winning Dutch swimmer.From a young age, Kenkhuis had a strong interest in swimming. In 1998, he won gold medals in both the 100 meter and 200 meter freestyle events in the European Junior Championships...

 and Martijn Zuijdweg
Martijn Zuijdweg
Martijn Hendrik Zuijdweg is a former freestyle swimmer from the Netherlands, who was a member of the Dutch 4×200 m freestyle relay Team that won the bronze medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. He did so alongside Johan Kenkhuis, Marcel Wouda and Pieter van den...

. He won silver medals in the 400 m individual medley and the 4×100 m freestyle together with Mark Veens
Mark Veens
Mark Hermanus Maria Veens is a freestyle swimmer from the Netherlands, who competed for his native country at three consequentive Summer Olympics, starting in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia as a member of the 4×100 m freestyle .Veens' finest hour came at the European Short Course Swimming...

, Johan Kenkhuis and Pieter van den Hoogenband, in the 200 m individual medley he won a bronze medal. In the summer of 1999 Wouda took part in the European LC Championships 1999
European LC Championships 1999
The European Long Course Championships 1999 were held in Istanbul, Turkey from Monday 26 July to Sunday 1 August, in the 50 m pool of the Ataköy Olympic Pool Stadium...

 in Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...

, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...

. He successfully defended his title in the 200 m individual medley and won the relay titles in the 4×100 m freestyle, with Kenkhuis, Veens and van den Hoogenband, and the 4×100 m medley with Klaas-Erik Zwering
Klaas-Erik Zwering
Klaas-Erik Zwering is a former Dutch swimmer and an Olympic medalist. He is currently studying MBO entrepreneurship as he trained in Eindhoven with the PSV Eindhoven swim club...

, Stefan Aartsen
Stefan Aartsen
Stefan Remco Aartsen is a former butterfly swimmer from the Netherlands, who twice competed for his native country at the Summer Olympics: in 1996 and 2000....

 and van den Hoogenband. He also won the bronze medal in the 400 m individual medley.

Sydney Olympics

On the road to the Sydney Olympics Wouda took part in the European LC Championships 2000
European LC Championships 2000
The 2000 LEN European Championships were held in Helsinki, Finland from Monday 3 July to Sunday 9 July 2000, in the 50 m pool at the Mäkelänrinne Swimming Center...

 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...

, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...

 where he won a bronze medal in the 4×200 m freestyle together with Martijn Zuijdweg, Mark van der Zijden and Pieter van den Hoogenband. Wouda won a bronze medal in the 4×200 m freestyle relay at the 2000 Summer Olympics
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 Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...

, 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...

 alongside Martijn Zuijdweg
Martijn Zuijdweg
Martijn Hendrik Zuijdweg is a former freestyle swimmer from the Netherlands, who was a member of the Dutch 4×200 m freestyle relay Team that won the bronze medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. He did so alongside Johan Kenkhuis, Marcel Wouda and Pieter van den...

, Johan Kenkhuis
Johan Kenkhuis
Johan Kenkhuis is an Olympic medal winning Dutch swimmer.From a young age, Kenkhuis had a strong interest in swimming. In 1998, he won gold medals in both the 100 meter and 200 meter freestyle events in the European Junior Championships...

 and Pieter van den Hoogenband
Pieter van den Hoogenband
Pieter Cornelis Ruud Martijn van den Hoogenband is a Dutch former swimmer and a triple Olympic champion.-Personal life:...

. Individually he ended 5th in the 200 m individual medley and 13th in the 100 m breaststroke. With the 4×100 m medley team he ended 4th just missing out for a medal alongside Klaas-Erik Zwering
Klaas-Erik Zwering
Klaas-Erik Zwering is a former Dutch swimmer and an Olympic medalist. He is currently studying MBO entrepreneurship as he trained in Eindhoven with the PSV Eindhoven swim club...

, Joris Keizer
Joris Keizer
Joris Gerhard Keizer is a retired butterfly swimmer from the Netherlands, who competed for his native country at two consecutive Summer Olympics, starting in 2000 in Sydney, Australia. There he was eliminated in the semi finals of the 100m Butterfly, and finished in fourth place with the Men's...

 and Pieter van den Hoogenband. In the aftermath of the Sydney Olympics Wouda resigned from swimming. Six months later a journalist from Dutch daily NRC Handelsblad
NRC Handelsblad
NRC Handelsblad, often abbreviated to NRC, is a daily evening newspaper published in the Netherlands by NRC Media. The newspaper was created on October 1, 1970, from merger of the Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant and Algemeen Handelsblad . In 2006 a morning newspaper, nrc•next, was launched...

, Mark Hoogstad, wrote a book describing the resurrection of Dutch swimming at the hand of Wouda's career.

Coaching career

Wouda was the head coach of Dutch junior swimming for two years, before being named assistant-coach of Verhaeren in Eindhoven, in October 2006. He guided Maarten van der Weijden
Maarten van der Weijden
Maarten van der Weijden is a Dutch long distance and marathon swimmer born in Alkmaar.Van der Weijden was known as a promising swimming talent in his youth, becoming Dutch national champion at the 1500 m freestyle , 400 m freestyle and 5 km open water...

 to his world title in the 25 km and the Olympic title in the 10 km. He is also the coach of Hinkelien Schreuder
Hinkelien Schreuder
Hinkelien Schreuder is a butterfly, freestyle and backstroke swimmer from The Netherlands, who also competed in the medley events...

 who was part of the Dutch golden 4×100 m freestyle team and reached an individual 7th place in the 50 m freestyle.

Swimmers currently coached

  • Allen Lindenberg
  • Arjen van der Meulen
  • Bastiaan Tamminga
    Bastiaan Tamminga
    Bastiaan Tamminga is a Dutch swimmer who specializes in the 50 m events of the backstroke, butterfly and freestyle. He is currently trained by former worldchampion Marcel Wouda alongside olympic champions Maarten van der Weijden and Hinkelien Schreuder.-Swimming career:Tamminga made his...

  • Hinkelien Schreuder
    Hinkelien Schreuder
    Hinkelien Schreuder is a butterfly, freestyle and backstroke swimmer from The Netherlands, who also competed in the medley events...

  • Job Kienhuis
    Job Kienhuis
    Job Kienhuis is a Dutch swimmer who mainly specializes in the middle- and long freestyle events. He is currently training under the guidance of former worldchampion Marcel Wouda alongside olympic champion Hinkelien Schreuder. He is the owner of three national records, two in Long Course 800 m and...

  • Joeri Verlinden
    Joeri Verlinden
    Joeri Verlinden is a Dutch swimmer who specializes in butterfly and freestyle. He is currently trained by former world champion Marcel Wouda alongside olympic champions Maarten van der Weijden and Hinkelien Schreuder.-Swimming career:...

  • Linsy Heister
  • Maaike Waaijer
  • Maarten van der Weijden
    Maarten van der Weijden
    Maarten van der Weijden is a Dutch long distance and marathon swimmer born in Alkmaar.Van der Weijden was known as a promising swimming talent in his youth, becoming Dutch national champion at the 1500 m freestyle , 400 m freestyle and 5 km open water...

  • Robert Lijesen
    Robert Lijesen
    Robert Lijesen is a Dutch Swimmer, who is specialized in the 50 and 100 m freestyle. He is currently trained by former world champion Marcel Wouda at the same club as multiple olympic champion Pieter van den Hoogenband...

  • Tom Vangeneugden
    Tom Vangeneugden
    Tom Vangeneugden is a Belgian swimmer who currently resides in Overijse. He holds the 800m, 1500m and 4x200 freestyle long course national records.-External links:*...

  • Wendy van der Zanden
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