Sebastiaan Verschuren

Sebastiaan Verschuren is a Dutch swimmer. He specializes in although he competes in other events as well. He is a member of the Dutch London 2012 Olympic team. 

Born: October 7, 1988 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands 

Height: 6'4 

Weight: 83 KG 

Social Media: twitter.com/sverschuren 

Website: www.sebastiaanverschuren.nl 

Career Highlights: 

• 5th, 100m freestyle final, London 2012 Olympics 
• 7th, 4x100m medley final, London 2012 Olympics
• bronze, 200-m freestyle, 2010 European Championships 
• bronze, 4x100m medley, 2010 European Championships

Clement Lefert

Clement Lefert is a French swimmer. He won a gold medal in the 2012 London Olympics in the 4x100-meter relay event, together with teammates Amaury Leveaux, Fabien Gilot and Yannick Agnel. The French team bested the American relay team for the gold. Lefert also won a silver medal in 4x200-meter relay event. 

Lefert is also a member of the USC swimming team in college. He retired from the sport in 2012. 

Born: September 26, 1987 in Nice, France

Height: 6'0"
Weight: 150 lbs

Twitter: twitter.com/clementlefert

Career Highlights:

• Holds the USC record for 200-yard freestyle
• 2-time All American
• finalist in the 2008 European Short Course Championships 200m freestyle event

Christian Sprenger

Christian Sprenger is an Australian swimmer, specializing in breaststroke events. He won a silver at the 2012 London Olympics, in the 100-meter breaststroke event.

Born: December 19, 1985 in Brisbane, Australia
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 200 lbs
Website: christiansprenger.com.au
Twitter: twitter.com/C_Sprenger

Career Highlights:

• Owned 2 world records in his career, both in 200-meter breaststroke long-course and short course
• Won silver at 100-m breaststroke event in London 2012, losing to Cameron van der Burgh 
• won silver at the 2010 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships 100-meter breaststroke event
• won bronze in 2010 Pan Pacific championships relay event
• won 3 medals at the Commonwealth Games

Nikita Lobintsev

Nikita Lobintsev is a Russian swimmer, specializing in freestyle events. He competed the past two Olympics: in the 2008 Olympics, he won silver medal at the 4x200-m freestyle relay event; in 2012 Olympics he won bronze in the 4x100-m freestyle relay. 

Born: November 21, 1988 in Sverdlovsk, Russia
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 179 lbs
Twitter: twitter.com/LobintsevNikita


Career Highlights:

• placed 8th in the final of the 2012 Olympics 100-m freestyle event (won by Nathan Adrian, who beat James Magnussen by 0.01 seconds)
• won silver, 2009 World Championships, 4x200-m freestyle relay long course
• won 5 medals in 2010 World Championships short course: a gold, 2 silvers and 2 bronzes
• won 2 golds and 1 silver at the 2010 European Championships

Chad le Clos

Chad le Clos is a South African swimmer, specializing in butterfly events. He is a gold medalist at the 2012 London Olympics, winning in the 200-m butterfly event over Michael Phelps by 0.05 seconds. He also won silver in 100-m butterfly.

Born: April 12, 1992 in Durban, South Africa
Height: 6"
Weight: 76 kg
Twitter: twitter.com/LeClos_Swim

Career Highlights:

• Commonwealth Games record holder in 50-m and 100-m butterfly
• won five medals at the 2010 Commonwealth Games: 2 golds, a silver and 2 bronzes
• won five medals at the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics: 1 gold, 3 silver, 1 bronze
• won gold at 2010 World Championships (200-m butterfly)
• won five golds and a silver at 2011 All Africa Games

Liam Tancock's Swimming Cap Trick

British swimmer Liam Tancock demonstrates a novel way of putting on a swimming cap.

Marcelo Chierighini

Marcelo Chierighini  is a Brazilian swimmer. He competed in the 2012 London Olympics in men's 4x100-meter freestyle and medley relay events.

Chierighini studied in Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama. 

Born: January 15, 1991 in Sao Paulo, Brazil
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 203 lbs
Website/Social Network: http://twitter.com/Mchierighini

Career Highlights:

• Helped Brazil to a ninth-place finish in the London Olympics 4x100-meter freestyle relay, swimming the anchor leg
• Won silver at 2012 NCAA 100-m freestyle
• Competed at 2011 World Championships
• Five-time SEC champion (100 free, 200 FR, 400 FR, 200 MR, 400 MR)

Michael Phelps at his Element

The most decorated Olympian ever

The stats:

• 22 medals overall
• 18 gold medals
• 11 gold medals from individual events
• 13 medals in male individual events
• 6 gold medals and 2 bronzes in 2004 Athens Olympics
• 8 gold medals in 2008 Olympics
• 5 golds and 2 silvers in 2012 London Olympics

Nathan Adrian in Action

Nathan Adrian won 2 golds and a silver in 2012 London Olympics: 100-m freestyle (gold), 4x100-m medley relay (gold) and 4x100-m freestyle relay (silver)

Nathan Adrian

Nathan Adrian is an American swimmer who currently holds the United States record in 50 and 100-yard freestyle events.

Adrian won a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics in the 100-meter freestyle event, edging James Magnussen by 1/100 seconds. He also won silver in the 4x100-meter freestyle relay, together with team mates Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte and Cullen Jones.

Born: December 7, 1988 in Bremerton, Washington

Height: 6'6"

Weight: 220 lbs

Website: Twitter

Career Highlights:

• Won gold medal in 2008 Olympics 4x100-meter freestyle relay
• Won 14 medals in international competitions: 11 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze
• Five-time NCAA champion, swimming for UC Berkeley
• Won four gold medals at the 2010 Pan Pacific Championships
• First American to win 100-meter freestyle in Olympics since Matt Biondi in 1988

Michael Phelps Detailed

Swimmer Michael Phelps, headed to the 2012 London Olympics, on cover in Details magazine.

Eric Shanteau

Eric Shanteau is an American swimmer, specializing in breaststroke and medley events. He will compete in 100-meter breaststroke in the 2012 London Olympics. 

Shanteau is a cancer survivor.

Born: October 1, 1983 in Snellville, Georgia
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 77 kg
Website: Twitter, ericshanteau.net






Career Highlights:

• Won silver at the 2003 World University Games in 400-m individual medley
• Won gold at the 2005 World University Games in 200-m and 400-m IM
• competed in 2008 Olympics despite being diagnosed with testicular cancer
• won silver at the 2009 World Championships in 200-m breaststroke, bronze in 200-m IM, as well as gold in 4x100-m relay

Happy Birthday Phelps!

Quotable Quotes: Ryan Lochte

“Pain, tolerance, endurance—when it comes down to that point, there’s always something left. You just have to find it.” — Ryan Lochte

Bonus: NBC London Olympics 2012: Ryan Lochte

Ryan Lochte on Men's Health

Brendan Hansen

Brendan Hansen is an American swimmer, primarily competing in breaststroke competitions. He won four Olympic medals and 19 more from Pan Pacific and World championships.






Hansen retired in 2008 but is making a comeback for the 2012 Olympics.


Born: August 15, 1981 in Haverford Township, PA
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 189 lbs
Website: brendanhansenonline.com

Achievements/Career Highlights:

• won silver in 100-m breaststroke and bronze in 200-m breaststroke in 2004 Olympics
• won gold in 4x100 relay in 2004 and 2008 Olympics
• won gold in 100-m breaststroke and silver in 50-m breaststroke in  2007 World Aquatics Championships

Thiago Pereira

Thiago Pereira is a Brazilian swimmer, competing mostly in individual medley events. He is currently Brazil's record holder for most medals won in the Pan American Games, a total of 12 in two outings.

He has qualified for the 2012 London Olympics. 

Born: January 26, 1986 in Volta Redonda, Brazil

Height: 6'1"

Weight: 77 kg.

Website: www.thiagopereira.uol.com.br/home

Achievements/Career Highlights:

• Competed in the 2004 Olympics, placing fifth in the 200-m individual medley
• Competed in the 2008 Olympics, placing fourth in the 200-m individual medley
• Won six gold medals during the 2007 Pan American Games, breaking Mark Spitz's record of 5 golds
• Won his first medal (silver) at the 2003 Pan American Games 200-m IM event
• Won gold at the 2004 FINA Short Course World Championships 200-m IM event 

Randall Bal

Randall Bal is an American swimmer, specializing in backstroke. He competed in the World Championships, the Pan American Games and the Pan Pacific Championships, winning 5 golds, six silvers and 2 bronze medals. 

He set the world record for 50-m backstroke in 2008. Bal competed for Stanford University while in college. 

Born: November 14, 1980 in Sacramento, California 

Height: 6'4" 

Weight: 195 lbs 

Website: Facebook

Achievements/Career Highlights:

• won silver in 100-m backstroke at the 2008 FINA Short Course World Championships
• won gold in 100-m backstrok and 400-m relay at the 2007 Pan American Games

Tyler Clary

Tyler Clary is an American swimmer, specializing in backstroke, butterfly and medley events. He is the holder of the US record for 400-meter individual medley, breaking Michael Phelp's record. 

Clary competed for the University of Michigan for the NCAA 




Born: March 12, 1989 in Redlands, California 
Height: 6'1" 
Weight: 
Website: Twitter



Achievements/Career Highlights: 

• won silver in 200-m backstroke at the 2007 Pan American Games 
• won silver in 400-m individual medley in 2010 National Championships, finishing behind Ryan Lochte 
• won bronze in 200-m backtroke in 2011 World Aquatics Championships
• won silver in 400-m individual medley in 2011 World Aquatics Championships
• 2009 NCAA Swimmer of the Year

Eamon Sullivan

Eamon Sullivan is an Australian swimmer. He set several world records in 50-meter freestyle, becoming the fastest swimmer in history at that time. 


Born: August 30, 1985 in Perth, Australia 
Height: 6'2" 
Weight: 170 lbs 
Website: Twitter


Achievements/Career Highlights: 

• youngest male in the 2004 Australian Olympic team 
• won gold at the 2007 WOrld Championships in 4x100m medley 
• won bronze at the 2007 World Championships in 100m freestyle 
• won silver at the 2008 Olympics 100-m freestyle 
• won silver at the 2008 Olympics 4x100-m medley 
• broke the 50-m freestyle record (set by Alexandr Popov) at the 2008 NSW Open Championships

At the 2009 Telstra Australian Swimming Championships: