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Britta STEFFEN
Sport Swimming
NOC Germany   
GenderWomen
Born16 Nov 1983 in Schwedt, GDR
Height1.80 m
Weight 64 kg
 Human Interest 
Further Personal Information
Higher education
 Environmental Engineering - University of Applied Sciences: Berlin, GER
General Interest
Hobbies
 Reading, listening to music. (NOC 2004)
Injuries
 She had an illness at the 2013 World Championship trials in April that allowed her to swim only once at the meet. However, she was still chosen to compete at the World Championships in Barcelona, Spain. (swimmingworldmagazine.com, 30 Apr 2013)

She suffered from several health problems in 2010, including shoulder problems and a sinus inflammation. She missed the 2010 European Championships in Budapest, Hungary because of bronchitis. All year she was unable to train 10 days in a row at any point of the year. (faz.net, 03 Aug 2010; FINA Aquatics World Magazine, 23 Oct 2010)

A bout of flu forced her to miss the 2006 European Short Course Championships in Helsinki, Finland. (1asport, 04 Dec 2006)

In October 2006 she broke two fingers during a training camp. (Eurosport, 23 Nov 2006)

She sustained a foot injury at the Olympic Games in Athens in 2004. (britta-steffen.com, 14 Jul 2011)
Superstitions / Rituals / Beliefs
 During competition she wears a ring that her two brothers gave her. (Super Illu, 17 Aug 2006)
Sport Specific Information
Why this sport?
 At the age of five, she used to hang around the pool and was desperate to get into the water. After being given her first swimsuit she learnt to swim within four weeks.
General Interest
Hero / Idol
 Russian swimmer Alexander Popov. (Super Illu, 17 Aug 2006)
Awards and honours
 In 2008 she was named the Athlete of the Year and the Swimmer of the Year. She was also decorated with the annual German audience and media award Goldene Henne. (britta-steffen.com, 14 Jul 2011)

Named by the German Swimming Federation as Swimmer of the Year for 2006. (Schwimmen Aktuell, 02 Feb 2007)
Sport Specific Information
When and where did you begin this sport?
 She first swam at age five and in 1990 started swimming at the SSV PCK 90 club in Schwedt, Germany.
Further Personal Information
Languages
 German
General Interest
Other information
 RETIREMENT
She retired from the sport in September 2013. (spiegel.de, 27 Sep 2013)

OLYMPIC GOLD WITH EYES CLOSED
She says she swam the first 50 metres of the 100m freestyle final at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing with her eyes closed to avoid being distracted by her opponents. She came from behind to beat Libby Trickett of Australia and win gold. (ihavenet.com, 28 Aug 2008)

COMEBACK
After the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, personal problems almost forced her to quit the sport. Her coach tried to convince her to continue but she took a year off and sought the help of a psychologist. The psychologist told her to separate between the athlete and the person and that bad results didn't mean that she was a bad person. She went back into the pool in August 2005, won the 50m and 100m freestyle at the German Championships and at the 2006 European Championships she won four gold medals and set three world records. (Stern, 01 Nov 2006)
Further Personal Information
Residence
 Berlin, GER

 Competition Highlights
Olympic Games
Rank Year Venue Event Result
Semifinal 2012 London, ENG 100m Freestyle 54.18
4 2012 London, ENG 50m Freestyle 24.46
Heats 2012 London, ENG 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay  
Heats 2012 London, ENG 4 x 100m Medley Relay  
1 2008 Beijing, CHN 100m Freestyle 53.12
1 2008 Beijing, CHN 50m Freestyle 24.06
5 2008 Beijing, CHN 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay 3:36.85
Heats 2008 Beijing, CHN 4 x 100m Medley Relay  
4 2004 Athens, GRE 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay  
3 2000 Sydney, NSW, AUS 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay  
4 2000 Sydney, NSW, AUS    
World Championships
Rank Year Venue Event Result
6 2013 Barcelona, ESP 100m Freestyle 53.75
8 2013 Barcelona, ESP 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay 3:39.57
8 2013 Barcelona, ESP 4 x 100m Medley Relay 4:01.81
Heat 2011 Shanghai, CHN 100m Freestyle 54.86
Heat 2011 Shanghai, CHN 50m Freestyle  DNS
3 2011 Shanghai, CHN 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay 3:36.05
3 2009 Rome, ITA 4 x 100m Medley Relay 3:55.79
1 2009 Rome, ITA 100m Freestyle 52.07
1 2009 Rome, ITA 50m Freestyle 23.73
2 2009 Rome, ITA 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay 3:31.83
4 2007 Melbourne, VIC, AUS 50m Freestyle 24.79
7 2007 Melbourne, VIC, AUS 4 x 100m Medley Relay  
3 2007 Melbourne, VIC, AUS 100m Freestyle 53.74
2 2007 Melbourne, VIC, AUS 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay 7:53.82
4 2007 Melbourne, VIC, AUS 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay 3:36.94
World Championships Short Course
Rank Year Venue Event Result
1 2012 Istanbul, TUR 100m Freestyle 52.31
4 2012 Istanbul, TUR 50m Freestyle 24.04
8 2012 Istanbul, TUR 4 x 100m Medley Relay 3:56.85
13 2000 Athens, GRE 200m Freestyle 2:00.86
10 2000 Athens, GRE 100m Freestyle 55.40
2 2000 Athens, GRE 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay 3:37.31
European Championships
Rank Year Venue Event Result
1 2012 Debrecen, HUN 50m Freestyle 24.37
2 2012 Debrecen, HUN 100m Freestyle 54.15
1 2012 Debrecen, HUN 4 x 100m Medley Relay 3:58.43
1 2012 Debrecen, HUN 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay 3:37.98
1 2006 Budapest, HUN 50m Freestyle 24.72
Heats 2006 Budapest, HUN 200m Freestyle  DNS
1 2006 Budapest, HUN 100m Freestyle 53.30
1 2006 Budapest, HUN 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay 7:50.82
1 2006 Budapest, HUN 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay 3:35.22
2 2006 Budapest, HUN 4 x 100m Medley Relay 4:02.35
1 2002 Berlin, GER 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay  WR
European Championships Short Course
Rank Year Venue Event Result
1 2011 Szczecin, POL 50m Freestyle 24.01
1 2011 Szczecin, POL 100m Freestyle 51.94
1 2011 Szczecin, POL 4 x 50m Freestyle Relay 1:37.29
9 2011 Szczecin, POL 4 x 50m Medley Relay  DSQ
3 2010 Eindhoven, NED 100m Freestyle 52.92
3 2010 Eindhoven, NED 50m Freestyle 23.95
2 2010 Eindhoven, NED 4 x 50m Freestyle Relay 1:36.83
2 2010 Eindhoven, NED 4 x 50m Medley Relay 1:47.70
2 2007 Debrecen, HUN 50m Freestyle 23.80
1 2007 Debrecen, HUN 100m Freestyle 52.20
2 2007 Debrecen, HUN 4 x 50m Freestyle Relay 1:36.74
1 2007 Debrecen, HUN 4 x 50m Medley Relay 1:46.67
4 2003 Dublin, IRL 200m Freestyle 1:56.59
12 2003 Dublin, IRL 100m Freestyle 54.36
3 2003 Dublin, IRL 4 x 50m Freestyle Relay 1:38.68
4 2000 Valencia, ESP 100m Freestyle 54.64
12 2000 Valencia, ESP 50m Freestyle 25.60
3 2000 Valencia, ESP 4 x 50m Freestyle Relay 1:39.63
World Cup Short Course
Rank Year Venue Event Result
3 2012   Overall  
1 2012 Berlin, GER 50m Freestyle 24.16
1 2012 Berlin, GER 100m Freestyle 52.88
2 2012 Doha, QAT 50m Freestyle 24.46
1 2012 Doha, QAT 100m Freestyle 53.40
3 2012 Doha, QAT 100m Individual Medley 1:01.58
1 2012 Doha, QAT 4 x 50m Medley Relay 1:43.38
1 2012 Dubai, UAE 100m Freestyle 53.39
3 2012 Dubai, UAE 100m Individual Medley 1:01.95
2 2012 Dubai, UAE 50m Freestyle 24.57
1 2012 Dubai, UAE 4 x 50m Medley Relay 1:43.21
1 2012 Moscow, RUS 50m Freestyle 24.20
1 2012 Moscow, RUS 100m Freestyle 52.92
1 2012 Stockholm, SWE 50m Freestyle 24.08
1 2012 Stockholm, SWE 100m Freestyle 52.46
4 2012 Stockholm, SWE 100m Individual Medley 1:00.69
2 2011 Berlin, GER 50m Freestyle 24.07
3 2011 Berlin, GER 100m Freestyle 52.50
2 2007 Berlin, GER 100m Freestyle 52.17
3 2001/2002 Edmonton, AB, CAN 400m Freestyle 4:15.19
3 2001 Edmonton, CAN 400m Freestyle 4:15.19