Inge de Bruijn

Inge de Bruijn competed at the 1991 World Swimming Championships, and helped The Netherlands win a bronze medal in the 400 freestyle relay. She then competed at the 1992 Olympics, with minimal success, and her career when into hiding for several years. But she re-surfaced in 1999, winning the 50 free and the 100 fly at the European Championships and the 50 free at the World Championships. She was named 1999 European Swimmer of the Year although it was but a prelude to 2000. At the Sydney Olympic Games, de Bruijn won three individual gold medals – 50 free, 100 free, and 100 fly. She continued to compete after Sydney, and in 2001 won the 100 free and the 50 fly at the Worlds, and the 50 and 100 free at the Europeans. She was named World Swimmer of the Year in both 2000 and 2001. At the 2003 World Championships, de Bruijn won her third consecutive world title in the 50 free, and also won the 50 butterfly. Although she was 31-years-old in 2004, ancient for a world-class swimmer, Inge de Bruijn again won the 50 freestyle at the Athens Olympics.