Paul Biedermann
Encyclopedia
Paul Biedermann is a German
swimmer from Halle
and a former 200 and 400 metre freestyle long course world champion. He also holds the long course and short course
world records in these events.
With the times over 400 m freestyle (3:47.69) and 200 m freestyle (NR in 1:46.37) Biedermann managed to qualify for the Olympic Games
in Beijing
. At the Olympics, he placed fifth in the 200 m freestyle final (1:46.00) and 17th overall in the 400 m freestyle (3:48.03).
in the final 50 metres, with a time of 3:40.07, shaving nearly three seconds off his own personal best and bettering Ian Thorpe
's 2002 world record by one hundredth of a second.
On 28 July he claimed his second gold in the 200 m freestyle, defeating Michael Phelps
in a world record time of 1:42.00 seconds and cutting more than four seconds off of his time since last year. In 2008, Biedermann was ranked 9th in the world in the 200 m freestyle and 21st in the world in the 400 m freestyle.
The the 2010 world short course championships Biedermann won gold in the 400m Freestyle, beating Oussama Mellouli again in a race that unfolded almost identical to their race in Rome the previous year. In the 200m freestyle, although he was the world record holder, Biedermann placed only 5th. He was over a second behind the first place finisher Ryan Lochte
.
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 from Halle
Halle, Saxony-Anhalt
Halle is the largest city in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. It is also called Halle an der Saale in order to distinguish it from the town of Halle in North Rhine-Westphalia...
and a former 200 and 400 metre freestyle long course world champion. He also holds the long course and 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...
world records in these events.
Career
Biedermann won the 200 m freestyle long course in the 2008 European Aquatics Championships final, finishing in a time of 1:46.59 seconds.With the times over 400 m freestyle (3:47.69) and 200 m freestyle (NR in 1:46.37) Biedermann managed to qualify for the 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...
. At the Olympics, he placed fifth in the 200 m freestyle final (1:46.00) and 17th overall in the 400 m freestyle (3:48.03).
2009 Long Course & 2010 Short Course World Championships
On 26 July 2009, Biedermann won the 400 m freestyle final at the 2009 World Championships passing 1500m Olympic champion Oussama MellouliOussama Mellouli
Oussama "Ous" Mellouli is a Tunisian swimmer who competes in the freestyle and medley events. He currently is an African Record holder, and trains with the USA club based at the University of Southern California, where he went to school and swam, collegiately....
in the final 50 metres, with a time of 3:40.07, shaving nearly three seconds off his own personal best and bettering Ian Thorpe
Ian Thorpe
Ian James Thorpe OAM , nicknamed the Thorpedo and Thorpey, is an Australian swimmer who specialises in freestyle, but also competes in backstroke and the individual medley. He has won five Olympic gold medals, the most won by any Australian, and with three gold and two silver medals, was the most...
's 2002 world record by one hundredth of a second.
On 28 July he claimed his second gold in the 200 m freestyle, defeating Michael Phelps
Michael Phelps
Michael Fred Phelps is an American swimmer who has, overall, won 16 Olympic medals—six gold and two bronze at Athens in 2004, and eight gold at Beijing in 2008, becoming the most successful athlete at both of these Olympic Games editions...
in a world record time of 1:42.00 seconds and cutting more than four seconds off of his time since last year. In 2008, Biedermann was ranked 9th in the world in the 200 m freestyle and 21st in the world in the 400 m freestyle.
The the 2010 world short course championships Biedermann won gold in the 400m Freestyle, beating Oussama Mellouli again in a race that unfolded almost identical to their race in Rome the previous year. In the 200m freestyle, although he was the world record holder, Biedermann placed only 5th. He was over a second behind the first place finisher Ryan Lochte
Ryan Lochte
Ryan Steven Lochte is an American swimmer and a six-time Olympic medalist . As part of the American team, he holds the world record in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay...
.
2011 Long Course World Championships
Biedermann collected bronze medals in the 200m freestyle, 400m freestyle, 4x100m medley relay, as well as finishing 4th in the 4x200m freestyle relay. He was out touched by Michael Phelps by 0.09s in the individual 200m freestyle, however getting the better of him in the relay lead off leg beating Phelps by 0.33s, bringing their rivalry to 3-3 in major meets.External links
- Swim Rankings Results Official Homepage
- Profile at sportsreference.com