Thierry Wouters (born 12 July 1979) is a Belgian former swimmer, who specialized in sprint freestyle events.[1] He is a single-time Olympian (2000) and a former Belgian record holder in the 50 and 100 m freestyle.

Thierry Wouters
Personal information
NicknameThierry Wouters
National team Belgium
Born (1979-07-12) 12 July 1979 (age 45)
Nivelles, Belgium
Height1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Weight76 kg (168 lb)
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesFreestyle

Wouters made an international headline at the 1999 European Short Course Swimming Championships, when he set a Belgian record of 22.35 to earn a sixth spot in the 50 m freestyle.[2]

At the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Wouters competed in a sprint freestyle double. He posted FINA B-standards of 22.92 (50 m freestyle) and 50.50 (100 m freestyle) from the Belgian Championships in Antwerp.[3][4][5] In the 100 m freestyle, Wouters placed thirty-second on the morning's prelims. Swimming in heat seven, he edged out Finland's Jere Hård to pick up a seventh spot by four-hundredths of a second (0.04) in 51.07.[6] Two days later, in the 50 m freestyle, Wouters challenged seven other swimmers in heat six, including Ukraine's rising favorite Oleksandr Volynets and Lithuania's Rolandas Gimbutis, the tallest swimmer at the Games. Because one swimmer out of the race for no false-start rule, Wouters rounded out the field to last place and thirty-ninth overall in 23.44, more than half a second (0.50) off his record and entry time.[7]

References

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  1. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Thierry Wouters". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
  2. ^ "Zwemmen – 50m vrij: Yoris Grandjean evenaart Belgisch record" [Swimming – 50m free: Yoris Grandjean equals Belgian record] (in Dutch). Gazet van Antwerpen. 12 July 2007. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
  3. ^ "Swimming – Men's 50m Freestyle Startlist (Heat 6)" (PDF). Sydney 2000. Omega Timing. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
  4. ^ "Swimming – Men's 100m Freestyle Startlist (Heat 7)" (PDF). Sydney 2000. Omega Timing. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
  5. ^ "Records voor Thierry Wouters, Renaat Dreesen en aflossingsteams" [Records for Thierry Wouters, Renaat Dreesen and redemption teams] (in Dutch). De Standaard. 15 May 2000. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
  6. ^ "Sydney 2000: Swimming – Men's 100m Freestyle Heat 7" (PDF). Sydney 2000. LA84 Foundation. p. 115. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 August 2011. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
  7. ^ "Sydney 2000: Swimming – Men's 50m Freestyle Heat 6" (PDF). Sydney 2000. LA84 Foundation. p. 104. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 August 2011. Retrieved 28 April 2013.