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Henning MÜHLLEITNER
Sport Swimming
NOC Germany   
GenderMen
Born15 Jul 1997 in Emmendingen, GER
Height1.93 m
 Human Interest 
Further Personal Information
Residence
Neckarsulm, GER
Sport Specific Information
Club / Team
Neckarsulmer Sportunion: Germany
Further Personal Information
Higher education
Business Computing - Heilbronn University of Applied Sciences: Germany
General Interest
Injuries
He underwent knee surgery in October 2018. (stimme.de, 24 May 2020)
Ambitions
To compete at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. (sportheilbronn-magazin.de, 18 Nov 2021)
Sport Specific Information
Name of coach
Matt Magee [club], AUS
Further Personal Information
Occupation
Armed Forces Athlete, Student
Languages
English, German
Sport Specific Information
Why this sport?
"I learned to dive in Ghana, in a swimming pool with harmless underwater scorpions. I was certainly not afraid of water, but I only learned to swim properly in Germany."
General Interest
Awards and honours
In 2018 and 2019 he was named Unterlander Male Athlete of the Year by the Sporthilfe Unterland non-profit organisation and the Heilbronner Stimme newspaper in Germany. (stimme.de, 31 Jan 2020)
Sport Specific Information
When and where did you begin this sport?
He began learning to swim in Ghana. He asked his mother if he could join a swimming club at age eight.
General Interest
Other information
FAMILY
His family has no background in swimming, which he says helped him progress in the sport. "If I gave a farewell speech at the end of my career, I would thank my parents for never knowing anything about swimming. That always gave me freedom, nobody ever intervened. I sometimes wonder whether my brother even knows that I swim. That has always relieved the pressure. No one ever stood at the poolside with a stopwatch, but the support was there and they were always proud. My mother never watches competitions because she is much too nervous." (stimmt.de, 05 Jul 2019)

EARLY DAYS
As a child he and his parents spent three years in Sunyani, Ghana, before moving back to Saarbrucken, Germany. When he began going to school in Germany at about age five, he only spoke English. At age 15 he started attending boarding school and began training under coach Hannes Vitense, who became his caregiver when Muhlleitner's parents went to Ethiopia to perform humanitarian work. "He [Hannes] was my guardian, I could always ask him for advice." (swim.de, 26 Aug 2020; stimme.de, 24 May 2020)
Most influential person in career
Coach Hannes Vitense. (stimme.de, 24 May 2020)

 Competition Highlights
Olympic Games
Rank Year Venue Event Result
4 2021 Tokyo, JPN 400m Freestyle 3:44.07
7 2021 Tokyo, JPN 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay 7:06.51
World Championships
Rank Year Venue Event Result
Heats 2022 Budapest, HUN 400m Freestyle 3:47.17
World Championships Short Course
Rank Year Venue Event Result
Heats 2021 Abu Dhabi, UAE 400m Freestyle 3:46.05
European Championships
Rank Year Venue Event Result
3 2022 Rome, ITA 400m Freestyle 3:44.53
7 2022 Rome, ITA 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay 7:13.58
3 2018 Glasgow, SCO 400m Freestyle 3:47.18
18 2018 Glasgow, SCO 800m Freestyle 7:58.77
1 2018 Glasgow, SCO 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay 7:28.43
4 2018 Glasgow, SCO 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay 7:09.31
Heats 2016 London, ENG 800m Freestyle 8:12.21
Heats 2016 London, ENG 400m Freestyle 3:52.22
Heats 2016 London, ENG 200m Freestyle 1:50.12
European Championships Short Course
Rank Year Venue Event Result
Heats 2019 Glasgow, SCO 1500m Freestyle  DNS
Heats 2019 Glasgow, SCO 400m Freestyle 3:47.26
Heats 2015 Netanya, ISR 1500m Freestyle 14:49.89
Heats 2015 Netanya, ISR 400m Freestyle 3:45.04
World Cup
Rank Year Venue Event Result
7 2019 Berlin, GER 1500m Freestyle 15:39.40
2 2019 Singapore, SGP 400m Freestyle 3:52.12
2 2019 Singapore, SGP 1500m Freestyle 15:35.06
4 2019 Singapore, SGP 200m Freestyle 1:50.60