The Big Swimmers of 2000

A review of the top women performers in the last year.

Join the Discussion "Who was the best in 2000? I must go with de Bruijn - 3 gold's, 4 world records - Zoom!" Swimming Guide   Related Resources • 2000 Olympic Results • Meet Results • World Rankings & Records • Famous Swimmers  From Other Guides • Top Cyclists • Top Runners • Sports Superstars • Great African American Athletes  Elsewhere on the Web • World Rankings - LC • World Rankings - SC • Top 100 LC Rankings • Top 100 SC Rankings About.com Poll The Best Swimmer of 2000 (Total # of LC/SC world records held - # medals in Sydney) Inge de Bruijn (4/0 - 4) Lenny Krayzelburg (3/1 - 3) Pieter van den Hoogenband (2/0 - 4) Ian Thorpe (1/1 - 4) Susie O'Neill (1/1 - 4) Jenny Thompson (0/2 - 4) Dara Torres (0/0 - 5) Michael Klim (0/0 - 4) Current Results

The year 2000 brought a few new stars in 50 meter pools. It also shined up some old ones and saw a few begin to lose their flash. The year's biggest event, the Sydney Olympics, was a showplace for the world's best, but was not the only meet of 2000 where the swimmers showed who was best.

Swimsuits to decrease drag, changes to technique to make swimmers more efficient, and new training routines to make athletes stronger, faster, and quicker. In the end, it is the athletes. They are the ones that have to do it in the pool. Who are the best long course female swimmers of the year?

Women

Freestyle - Inge de Bruijn, Gold Meadls, World and Olympic Medals - the best there has ever been in the 50 and 100 (and the short flys, too). Trailing behind are Therese Alshammar Jenny Thompson, and Dara Torres. Susie O'Neill (also a great 200 flyer) was the best at the 200 distance, followed by Claudia Poll and Martina Moravcova. Moving into the longer events, Brooke Bennett, Hannah Stockbauer, Yana Klochkova (the best in the IM's), and Diana Munz (top in the 1500) shine.

Backstroke - Diana Mocanu tops the list at both 100 and 200, followed by Mai Nakamura in the 100 and Nina Zhivanevskaya in the 100 and 200. The 50 is interesting - due to a drug test problem at a meet in Germany, the apparent world record set by Sandra Volker will not be recognized; the one set by Mai Nakamura in 2000 will stand.

Breaststroke - Megan Quann, Masami Tanaka, Sarah Poewe, Leisel Jones, Penelope Heyns, Kristy Kowal, Hui Qi, and Amanda Beard fill the crowded breaststroke honor roll, with Kovacs and Quann on top.

Butterfly - Inge de Bruijn is tops in the short swims, with Dara Torres, Jenny Thompson, and Martina Moravcova trying to chase her down, just like the freestyle.  Misty Hyman, Susie O'Neill, and Petria Thomas are the best at going the 200.

Individual Medley - Yana Klochkova stands alone in the IM's - all she missed was the world record in the 200. She was also among the top in the distance free events. Behind are Yasuko Tajima, Beatrice Coada-Caslaru, and Tomoko Hagiwara.

Relays - The USA was top in all three. The 400 Free (Jenny Thompson, Courtney Shealy, Dara Torre, Amy van Dyken), and 400 Medley (BJ Bedford, Megan Quann, Jenny Thompson, Dara Torres) swimmers were made an almost  untouchable combination. In the 800 Free, the USA (Samantha Arsenault, Diana Munz, Lindsay Benko, Jenny Thompson) comes out just ahead of the Australians (Susie O'Neill, Giann Rooney, Kirtsen Thomson, Petria Thomson). 

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What will we see in 2001 - the biggest event is World Champs in Fukuoka - watch the About Swimming News section as the new year progresses for updates on all the action in Japan and around the world.

Swim On

Mat
Remember - train smart. 
Before beginning any fitness work, you must be in good health and that may include getting your physician's approval.

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