Simon Burnett
Encyclopedia
Simon Andrew Burnett is an English
swimmer.
He holds the British Records in the 100 and 200 metre freestyles
, he trains at the USA's University of Arizona
--where he attended—and in 2007 signed a sponsorship deal with Nike
.
in Oxford
, the second of the three sons of Ray Burnett and Melanie Verhoeven. He lived in the Oxfordshire
village of Chinnor
as a child, and then moved a few miles to Tetsworth
, attending Lord Williams's School
in Thame
, Oxfordshire. After completing his GCSEs, he went to John Hampden Grammar School
, in High Wycombe
, to study chemistry, biology, and physics at A-level. He first swam at Wycombe District Swimming Pool from very a young age, and soon joined the Wycombe District Swimming Club, where he remained until 2003. He was coached by Bob Pay and his move to John Hampden
, which was local to the Wycombe Sports Centre at which he trained, helped him focus further on swimming. In 2003, with the help of his coach Bob Pay, Simon won a sports scholarship at the University of Arizona
to study business. He now swims for the Arizona Wildcats
under coach Frank Busch
and lives in Tucson, Arizona
.
Burnett began competing at an international level in 2000 at the 3 Nations Junior International. At the ASA National Championships, he won gold
in the 50 m backstroke in 2001 and 2002. On the advice of his coach Bob Pay, Burnett switched to swim freestyle
in 2003 and began to excel. His television debut was in 2002 at the Manchester Commonwealth Games
, where he competed in the 4×200 m freestyle
relay and won a bronze medal
. The following Olympic Games
saw Simon finish 7th in the 200 m freestyle, and he competed in the 4×200 m freestyle relay team, which finished 4th, nearly grabbing bronze medals. The British trials for the Games had been a great success for Simon, in which he won silver
in 100 m freestyle
and gold
in the 200 m freestyle, despite having broken his wrist in a cycling accident in Arizona two months previously. He was now emerging as an elite British swimmer. Swimming for the University of Arizona
, Burnett competes in the American NCAA
s and has had great success winning gold in his first year in the 200 yd freestyle and in 2005. 2005 was probably his best year yet, returning to England as well for the ASA National Championships. He won 3 gold medal
s in the 50 m, 100 m, and 200 m freestyle, all of which were new British records. In the United States, he also broke the 17-year old record for the 200y freestyle set by Matt Biondi
at 1:33.03; Burnett swam a 1:32.22.
At the 2006 Commonwealth Games
in Melbourne, Burnett competed in the 200 m freestyle and won silver with a time of 1:47.38, beaten by team mate Ross Davenport
, who swam a personal best of 1:47.29. Simon was also part of the relay team in the 4×100 m freestyle, managing to come fourth, with the South Africa
n favourites taking gold. However, the most sensational race was the 4×200 m freestyle
, when the English
team, won the gold medal, nudging Scotland
into second place and Australia
into third. The next day, he stormed to individual gold in the 100 m freestyle, leaving the South African entrants Ryk Neethling
and Roland Schoeman into second and third respectively. With a time of 48.57s, he set a Commonwealth Games record and broke his own British record by eleven-hundredths of a second.
Before the Commonwealth Games had ended, Burnett was off to Atlanta for the 2006 NCAA
Championships. Swimming for Arizona
, Simon won bronze in the 50 yd freestyle, silver in the 4×50 yd freestyle relay, and gold in the 4×50 yd medley relay. In the 200 yd freestyle he won gold and broke the US open record with a time of 1:31.20.
Burnett represented Great Britain at the 2008 Summer Olympics
in the 4×100 m freestyle relay swimming event.
In March 2009 he became the patron of the newly formed Thame Swimming Club. Thame Swimming Club is located at Lord Williams's Upper School, in Thame (where Burnett went to school). He comes and meets the swimmers and help with training whenever he's in the UK.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
swimmer.
He holds the British Records in the 100 and 200 metre freestyles
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...
, he trains at the USA's University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
--where he attended—and in 2007 signed a sponsorship deal with Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
.
Career
Simon was born at the John Radcliffe HospitalJohn Radcliffe Hospital
The John Radcliffe Hospital is a large tertiary teaching hospital in Oxford, England.It is the main teaching hospital for Oxford University and Oxford Brookes University. As such, it is a well-developed centre of medical research. It also incorporates the Medical School of the University of Oxford....
in Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, the second of the three sons of Ray Burnett and Melanie Verhoeven. He lived in the Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
village of Chinnor
Chinnor
Chinnor is a village and civil parish in South Oxfordshire about southeast of Thame. The village is a Spring line settlement on the Icknield Way below the Chiltern escarpment...
as a child, and then moved a few miles to Tetsworth
Tetsworth
Tetsworth is a village and civil parish about south of Thame in Oxfordshire.-Manor:At the time of the Domesday Book in 1086 Tetsworth did not exist as a separate manor. In the 12th century, benefactors gave land in the area to the Cistercian Thame Abbey and these lands were brought together as an...
, attending Lord Williams's School
Lord Williams's School
Lord Williams's School is a co-educational secondary school in Thame, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom. It is a comprehensive school, which takes children from the age of 11 through to the age of 18...
in Thame
Thame
Thame is a town and civil parish in Oxfordshire, about southwest of the Buckinghamshire town of Aylesbury. It derives its toponym from the River Thame which flows past the north side of the town....
, Oxfordshire. After completing his GCSEs, he went to John Hampden Grammar School
John Hampden Grammar School
John Hampden Grammar School is a boys' grammar school in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England. It is named after politician and English Civil War participant John Hampden.-History:...
, in High Wycombe
High Wycombe
High Wycombe , commonly known as Wycombe and formally called Chepping Wycombe or Chipping Wycombe until 1946,is a large town in Buckinghamshire, England. It is west-north-west of Charing Cross in London; this figure is engraved on the Corn Market building in the centre of the town...
, to study chemistry, biology, and physics at A-level. He first swam at Wycombe District Swimming Pool from very a young age, and soon joined the Wycombe District Swimming Club, where he remained until 2003. He was coached by Bob Pay and his move to John Hampden
John Hampden Grammar School
John Hampden Grammar School is a boys' grammar school in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England. It is named after politician and English Civil War participant John Hampden.-History:...
, which was local to the Wycombe Sports Centre at which he trained, helped him focus further on swimming. In 2003, with the help of his coach Bob Pay, Simon won a sports scholarship at the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
to study business. He now swims for the Arizona Wildcats
Arizona Wildcats
-Athletic program:The University of Arizona participates in the NCAA's Division I-A in the Pacific-12 Conference Arizona participates in the conference's South Division, along with Arizona State, Colorado, UCLA, USC, and Utah...
under coach Frank Busch
Frank Busch
Frank Busch is a national-team and Olympic swimming coach from the USA. He as a coach for the USA Olympic teams in 2004 and 2008.In May 2011 he began serving as USA Swimming's National Team Director. Prior to USA Swimming, Busch was the Swimming Head Coach for Arizona Wildcats at the University of...
and lives in Tucson, Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
.
Burnett began competing at an international level in 2000 at the 3 Nations Junior International. At the ASA National Championships, he won gold
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
in the 50 m backstroke in 2001 and 2002. On the advice of his coach Bob Pay, Burnett switched to swim 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...
in 2003 and began to excel. His television debut was in 2002 at the Manchester Commonwealth Games
2002 Commonwealth Games
The 2002 Commonwealth Games were held in Manchester, England from 25 July to 4 August 2002. The XVII Commonwealth Games was the largest multi-sport event ever to be held in the UK, eclipsing London's 1948 Summer Olympics in numbers of teams and athletes participating.After the 1996 Manchester...
, where he competed in the 4×200 m 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...
relay and won a bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
. The following Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
saw Simon finish 7th in the 200 m freestyle, and he competed in the 4×200 m freestyle relay team, which finished 4th, nearly grabbing bronze medals. The British trials for the Games had been a great success for Simon, in which he won silver
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
in 100 m 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...
and gold
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
in the 200 m freestyle, despite having broken his wrist in a cycling accident in Arizona two months previously. He was now emerging as an elite British swimmer. Swimming for the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
, Burnett competes in the American NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
s and has had great success winning gold in his first year in the 200 yd freestyle and in 2005. 2005 was probably his best year yet, returning to England as well for the ASA National Championships. He won 3 gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
s in the 50 m, 100 m, and 200 m freestyle, all of which were new British records. In the United States, he also broke the 17-year old record for the 200y freestyle set by Matt Biondi
Matt Biondi
Matthew Nicholas Biondi is a three-time U.S. Olympic swimmer in the 1984, 1988, and 1992 Summer Olympics, winning a total of 11 medals...
at 1:33.03; Burnett swam a 1:32.22.
At the 2006 Commonwealth Games
2006 Commonwealth Games
The 2006 Commonwealth Games were held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia between 15 March and 26 March 2006. It was the largest sporting event to be staged in Melbourne, eclipsing the 1956 Summer Olympics in terms of the number of teams competing, athletes competing, and events being held.The site...
in Melbourne, Burnett competed in the 200 m freestyle and won silver with a time of 1:47.38, beaten by team mate Ross Davenport
Ross Davenport
Ross Paul Davenport is a British swimmer. He won two gold medals in the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne for the 200 m freestyle and the 4×200 m freestyle relay....
, who swam a personal best of 1:47.29. Simon was also part of the relay team in the 4×100 m freestyle, managing to come fourth, with the South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n favourites taking gold. However, the most sensational race was the 4×200 m 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...
, when the English
England at the 2006 Commonwealth Games
England at the 2006 Commonwealth Games were represented by the Commonwealth Games Council for England . The country went by the abbreviation ENG and used the St George's Cross as flag and Land of Hope and Glory as the national anthem....
team, won the gold medal, nudging Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
into second place and 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...
into third. The next day, he stormed to individual gold in the 100 m freestyle, leaving the South African entrants Ryk Neethling
Ryk Neethling
Ryk Neethling is a South African swimmer. He won an Olympic gold medal in the 4×100 m freestyle relay at the 2004 Summer Olympics. He is the former joint owner of the 4×100 m freestyle relay world record and holds several South African records...
and Roland Schoeman into second and third respectively. With a time of 48.57s, he set a Commonwealth Games record and broke his own British record by eleven-hundredths of a second.
Before the Commonwealth Games had ended, Burnett was off to Atlanta for the 2006 NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Championships. Swimming for Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, Simon won bronze in the 50 yd freestyle, silver in the 4×50 yd freestyle relay, and gold in the 4×50 yd medley relay. In the 200 yd freestyle he won gold and broke the US open record with a time of 1:31.20.
Burnett represented Great Britain at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Great Britain at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Great Britain competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. The United Kingdom was represented by the British Olympic Association , and the team of selected athletes was officially known as Team GB. Britain is one of only five NOCs to have competed in every Summer Olympic Games since 1896...
in the 4×100 m freestyle relay swimming event.
In March 2009 he became the patron of the newly formed Thame Swimming Club. Thame Swimming Club is located at Lord Williams's Upper School, in Thame (where Burnett went to school). He comes and meets the swimmers and help with training whenever he's in the UK.
See also
- List of Commonwealth Games records in swimming
- List of British records in swimming
External links
- British Swimming athlete profile
- Athens 2004 profile
- Melbourne 2006 profile
- Beijing 2008 http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/BIO/Athlete/1/225471.shtml
- Swim Rankings profile
- The Times, 20 February 2006: "Burnett perfectly prepared to stand in the path of Thorpedo"
- British Swimming results and rankings database entry
- Oxford Times, 4 October 2010: "COMMONWEALTH GAMES: Burnett claims relay silver medal"