Michael Klim
Encyclopedia
Michael Klim OAM is a Polish
-born Australian swimmer. He was born in Gdynia
. He was educated at the University High School, Melbourne
and Wesley College, Melbourne
where he is currently employed as the College's elite Head Coach of swimming. During the mid 90s to early 2000s, he appeared in advertisements for Nintendo Australia
, particularly for the Nintendo 64
.
nese princess, being the niece of Ida Cokorde Pamecutan XI, the king of Denpasar
. The couple have two daughters, Stella (born January 2006) and Frankie (born June 2011) and a son, Rocco (born May 2008)..
in Victoria
, Canada in 1994, while still a student at Wesley College
, Melbourne. For his achievements he was named the Male Swimmer of the Year
by Swimming World Magazine
in 1997.
In 1999, he set a world record in the 100 m butterfly twice, in a FINA
sanctioned time trial (51.81 s). It was broken at the 2003 World Championships in Barcelona by the Ukrainian Andriy Serdinov
in the first semifinal of the 100 m butterfly, and then broken another time in the next semifinal by Michael Phelps. Phelps's record was bested by Ian Crocker
in the final the following day.
, but was surprisingly eliminated in the heats. He rebounded to qualify for a finals in the 100m butterfly, and swam the freestyle leg in the 4×100 m medley relay, in which Australia claimed a bronze medal.
1998 was Michael Klim's year in the sun. In January, the World Aquatics were held in Perth
, and in front of a boisterous home crowd, he was the leading swimmer of the meet. He triumphed in the 200 m freestyle and the 100 m butterfly, and added silver in the 100 m freestyle, and bronze in the 50 m freestyle. He was a member of each of Australia's three relay teams, winning gold in the 4×200 m freestyle relay and 4×100 m medley relay, and a silver in the 4×100 m freestyle relay.
In 2000, at the Sydney Olympics, Klim set a world record (48.18) leading off the 4×100 m freestyle relay, which paved the way for a world record (3:13.67). Three days later, he was part of the 4×200 m freestyle relay, which set another world record (7:07.05), which left the opposition over 5 seconds in arrears on its way to victory. His 100m freestyle world record bested by Pieter van den Hoogenband
in the semi's, in the final he finished with a bitter 4th place, he turned first at the wall but he claimed his legs gave away in the second half. In the 100 m butterfly, he was the world record holder, again turning first at the wall heavily under world record pace, but was cut down in the closing stages by Sweden
's Lars Frölander
, finishing second. On the final night he claimed silver as part of the 4×100 m medley relay team.
In 2001, hampered by an ankle injury Klim was restricted to relay duties, and contributed to another world record, winning gold in the 4×200 m relay (7:04.66). He also collected a gold medal in the 4×100 m freestyle relay.
After just months of getting back into swimming, Klim failed to qualify for the 2004 Athens Olympics, however he was allowed to do a swim off and get into the relays, Australia was never in medal territory in the 4x100m, and was dethroned by team USA in the 4x200, clinching a close silver medal performance, the medley relay failed to qualify for the final.
In 2005, he swam at the World Aquatics in Montreal
, returning to individual action, but failed to progress to the finals in the 50m & 100m Freestyle. He won bronze as part of the 4×100 m freestyle relay.
In 2007, he swam as part of the B team in the Men's 4 x 100 metre medley relay, in the final the Australian team won the gold medal.
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
-born Australian swimmer. He was born in Gdynia
Gdynia
Gdynia is a city in the Pomeranian Voivodeship of Poland and an important seaport of Gdańsk Bay on the south coast of the Baltic Sea.Located in Kashubia in Eastern Pomerania, Gdynia is part of a conurbation with the spa town of Sopot, the city of Gdańsk and suburban communities, which together...
. He was educated at the University High School, Melbourne
University High School, Melbourne
The University High School is a public, co-educational high school, located in the Melbourne suburb of Parkville.-History:...
and Wesley College, Melbourne
Wesley College, Melbourne
Wesley College, Melbourne is an independent, co-educational, Christian day school in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Established in 1866, the college is a school of the Uniting Church in Australia. Wesley is the largest school in Australia by enrolment, with 3,511 students and 564 full-time staff...
where he is currently employed as the College's elite Head Coach of swimming. During the mid 90s to early 2000s, he appeared in advertisements for Nintendo Australia
Nintendo Australia
Nintendo Australia Pty. Ltd. established in 1994, located in Victoria is Australia's local head office, sales, licensing and distribution centre for products and other Intellectual Properties created by Nintendo Co., Ltd of Kyoto, Japan and is owned by Nintendo Co., Ltd in Japan. Prior distribution...
, particularly for the Nintendo 64
Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
.
Personal life
Klim married Lindy Rama, a former model and fashion entrepreneur, in April 2006. Rama (known in Bali as Anak Agung] is a BaliBali
Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east...
nese princess, being the niece of Ida Cokorde Pamecutan XI, the king of Denpasar
Denpasar
Denpasar is the capital city of the province of Bali, Indonesia. It has a rapidly expanding population of 788,445 in 2010, up from 533,252 in the previous decade. It is located at .-History:...
. The couple have two daughters, Stella (born January 2006) and Frankie (born June 2011) and a son, Rocco (born May 2008)..
Career
Klim was first selected to represent Australia in the Commonwealth Games1994 Commonwealth Games
The 1994 Commonwealth Games were held in Victoria, in the province of British Columbia in Canada, from 18 August to 28 August 1994.The XV Commonwealth Games marked South Africa's return to the Commonwealth Games following the apartheid era, and over 30 years since the country last competed in the...
in Victoria
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
, Canada in 1994, while still a student at Wesley College
Wesley College, Melbourne
Wesley College, Melbourne is an independent, co-educational, Christian day school in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Established in 1866, the college is a school of the Uniting Church in Australia. Wesley is the largest school in Australia by enrolment, with 3,511 students and 564 full-time staff...
, Melbourne. For his achievements he was named the Male Swimmer of the Year
Swimming World Swimmers of the Year
The Swimming World Magazine Swimmers of the Year, awarded by the American-based Swimming World Magazine, are a set of awards which are often regarded as being the most prestigious in the sport of swimming...
by Swimming World Magazine
Swimming World magazine
Swimming World Magazine is an American-based monthly swimming magazine, that was first published in a magazine format as Junior Swimmer in January of 1960...
in 1997.
In 1999, he set a world record in the 100 m butterfly twice, in a FINA
International Swimming Federation
Fédération Internationale de Natation is the International Federation recognized by the International Olympic Committee for administering international competition in the aquatic sports...
sanctioned time trial (51.81 s). It was broken at the 2003 World Championships in Barcelona by the Ukrainian Andriy Serdinov
Andriy Serdinov
Andriy Serdinov is a Ukrainian swimmer, who competed in the 2000 Olympics, 2004 Olympics and the 2008 Olympics. Serdinov also won the bronze medal in the 100 m butterfly at the 2004 Summer Olympics....
in the first semifinal of the 100 m butterfly, and then broken another time in the next semifinal by Michael Phelps. Phelps's record was bested by Ian Crocker
Ian Crocker
Ian Lowell Crocker is a former American swimmer and five-time Olympic medalist. He is a former world record holder in the 100 meter butterfly ....
in the final the following day.
Medal Achievements
In 1996, he arrived at the Atlanta Olympics ranked first in the world for the 200 m freestyleFreestyle 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...
, but was surprisingly eliminated in the heats. He rebounded to qualify for a finals in the 100m butterfly, and swam the freestyle leg in the 4×100 m medley relay, in which Australia claimed a bronze medal.
- Atlanta OlympicsSwimming at the 1996 Summer OlympicsThe swimming competition at the 1996 Summer Olympics was held at the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center in Atlanta, United States, which was built for the Games...
(USA) :
Men's 4x100m Medley Relay.
1998 was Michael Klim's year in the sun. In January, the World Aquatics were held 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....
, and in front of a boisterous home crowd, he was the leading swimmer of the meet. He triumphed in the 200 m freestyle and the 100 m butterfly, and added silver in the 100 m freestyle, and bronze in the 50 m freestyle. He was a member of each of Australia's three relay teams, winning gold in the 4×200 m freestyle relay and 4×100 m medley relay, and a silver in the 4×100 m freestyle relay.
- FINA World Championships 19981998 World Aquatics ChampionshipsThe 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 PerthPerth, Western AustraliaPerth 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) :
200m Freestyle.
100m Freestyle.- 50m Freestyle.
- 100m Butterfly.
- 4x100m Freestyle Relay.
- 4x200m Freestyle Relay.
- 4x100m Medley Relay.
In 2000, at the Sydney Olympics, Klim set a world record (48.18) leading off the 4×100 m freestyle relay, which paved the way for a world record (3:13.67). Three days later, he was part of the 4×200 m freestyle relay, which set another world record (7:07.05), which left the opposition over 5 seconds in arrears on its way to victory. His 100m freestyle world record bested by 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:...
in the semi's, in the final he finished with a bitter 4th place, he turned first at the wall but he claimed his legs gave away in the second half. In the 100 m butterfly, he was the world record holder, again turning first at the wall heavily under world record pace, but was cut down in the closing stages by Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
's Lars Frölander
Lars Frölander
Lars Arne Frölander is a Swedish swimmer. He grew up in Ornäs in Borlänge Municipality. He competed in 5 consecutive Olympic Games . The highlight of his career was when he won the gold in the 100 metre butterfly event at the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000...
, finishing second. On the final night he claimed silver as part of the 4×100 m medley relay team.
- Sydney OlympicsSwimming at the 2000 Summer OlympicsAt the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, 32 swimming events were contested, between September 15–23, 2000. There was a total of 954 participants from 150 countries competing.-Medal table:-Men:...
(Australia) :- 100m Butterfly.
- 4x100m Freestyle Relay.
- 4x200m Freestyle Relay.
- 4x100m Medley Relay.
In 2001, hampered by an ankle injury Klim was restricted to relay duties, and contributed to another world record, winning gold in the 4×200 m relay (7:04.66). He also collected a gold medal in the 4×100 m freestyle relay.
- FINA World Championships 20012001 World Aquatics ChampionshipsrightThe 2001 World Aquatics Championships or the 9th FINA World Swimming Championships were held in Fukuoka, Japan between 16 July and 29 July 2001....
in FukuokaFukuokaFukuoka most often refers to the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture.It can also refer to:-Locations:* Fukuoka, Gifu, a town in Gifu Prefecture, Japan* Fukuoka, Toyama, a town in Toyama Prefecture, Japan...
(Japan) :- 4x100m Freestyle Relay.
- 4x200m Freestyle Relay.
2002–2007
In 2002 and 2003, due to chronic back and shoulder problems, Michael Klim was inactive throughout these yearsAfter just months of getting back into swimming, Klim failed to qualify for the 2004 Athens Olympics, however he was allowed to do a swim off and get into the relays, Australia was never in medal territory in the 4x100m, and was dethroned by team USA in the 4x200, clinching a close silver medal performance, the medley relay failed to qualify for the final.
- Athens OlympicsSwimming at the 2004 Summer OlympicsSwimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics took place in the Olympic Aquatic Centre with the athletes competing in 32 events. There was a total of 937 participants from 152 countries competing.-Medal table:-Men's events:...
(GreeceGreeceGreece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
) :- 4x200m Freestyle Relay.
In 2005, he swam at the World Aquatics in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, returning to individual action, but failed to progress to the finals in the 50m & 100m Freestyle. He won bronze as part of the 4×100 m freestyle relay.
- FINA World Championships 20052005 World Aquatics ChampionshipsThe 2005 World Aquatics Championships or the XI FINA World Championships were held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada from July 16 to July 31, 2005...
in MontrealMontrealMontreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
(Canada) :- 4x100m Freestyle Relay.
In 2007, he swam as part of the B team in the Men's 4 x 100 metre medley relay, in the final the Australian team won the gold medal.
- FINA World Championships 20072007 World Aquatics ChampionshipsThe 2007 World Aquatics Championships or the XII FINA World Championships were held in Melbourne, Australia from 17 March to 1 April 2007...
in Melbourne (Australia) :- 4x100m Medley Relay.
Retirement
On the 26 June 2007 Klim retired as a world champion. He finished the year ranked 94 in the 100 freestyle with the Olympics 14 months away, however, in February 2011 Klim announced a comeback to competitive swimming with a view to seeking selection for the 2012 London Olympics.Return to Competitive Swimming
On the 14 February 2011 Klim announced his return to competitive swimming, hoping to compete in the London 2012 Olympics.See also
- World record progression 100 metres freestyleWorld record progression 100 metres freestyleThe first world record in the men's 100 metres freestyle in long course swimming was recognised by the International Swimming Federation in 1905...
- World record progression 100 metres butterflyWorld record progression 100 metres butterflyThe first world record in the 100 metres butterfly in long course swimming was recognised by the International Swimming Federation in 1957, for both men and women...