Pieter Timmers

Pieter Timmers (born 21 January 1988) is a Belgian retired competitive swimmer who specialized in sprint freestyle events.[1][2] He won the silver medal in the 100 meter freestyle at the 2016 Olympics. Timmers currently holds nine Belgian records, and seven national titles in long and short course freestyle (50, 100, and 200). Timmers is a resident athlete for Brabo Antwerp, and trains under his personal coach Ronald Gaastra.[1][3] He stands 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in), and weighs 89 kg (196 lb).[1] He ended his career in Budapest in the second season of the International Swimming League in 2020.

Pieter Timmers
Personal information
National team Belgium
Born (1988-01-21) 21 January 1988
Neerpelt, Belgium
Height2.00 m (6 ft 7 in)
Weight89 kg (196 lb)
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesFreestyle
ClubBrabo Antwerp
CoachRonald Gaastra

Career

Timmers qualified for three swimming events at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, by clearing a FINA B-standard entry time of 48.92 (100 m freestyle) from the Belgian Championships in Antwerp, just a 0.10-second deficit from an A-cut and a Belgian record held by Yoris Grandjean.[4][5] He also teamed up with Dieter Dekoninck, Emmanuel Vanluchene, and Jasper Aerents in the 4 × 100 m freestyle relay. Swimming the anchor leg, Timmers recorded a fastest split of 48.18, but the Belgian team rounded out the finale to last place in 3:14.40.[6][7]

On the fourth day of the Games, Timmers competed in two different events with 90 minutes in between. In the 100 m freestyle, he topped the seventh heat by beating seven other swimmers, including two-time Olympic champion Yannick Agnel of France. Swimming in lane eight and standing at two metres tall, he blasted a new Belgian record of 48.54 to pick up a matching sixth seed with Cayman Islands' Brett Fraser from the preliminary heats.[8][9] Followed by the evening session, Timmers fell short in his bid for the final, as he matched a twelfth-place finish with Australia's James Roberts in his semifinal run, outside a record time of 48.57.[10] Timmers placed twelfth as a member of the Belgian team in the 4 × 200 m freestyle relay. Teaming with Dekoninck, Louis Croenen, and Glenn Surgeloose, Timmers anchored the race with a split of 1:48.28 to set a Belgian record of 7:14.44 in the heats.[11]

At the 2012 European Short Course Swimming Championships in Chartres, France, Timmers earned his first two career medals in an international level. In the 200 m freestyle, he touched second behind Agnel with a new short-course Belgian record of 1:43.08.[12][13] Timmers also solidified his Belgian team (Vanluchene, Grandjean, and Aerents) with a bronze in the 4×50 m freestyle relay, posting their time of 1:25.60.[12]

At the 2016 Olympics Timmers won the silver medal in the men's 100 freestyle. He finished the race with a time of 47.80, breaking his own Belgian Record and awarded with a silver medal. He also swam the 4 x 100 relay team to a 6th place in a new Belgian Record, and the team also finished 8th in the 4x200 freestyle relay.

International Swimming League

In 2019 Timmers was member of the 2019 International Swimming League representing Team Iron. In 2020 he joined the New York Breakers and ended his career with a 4*100m freestyle mixed relay in Budapest.

Pieter Timmers at the ISL 2020 in Budapest.

References
  1. "Pieter Timmers". London 2012. Archived from the original on 29 April 2013. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
  2. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Pieter Timmers". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
  3. "Ronald Gaastra: "Finale kan voor Pieter Timmers"" [Ronald Gaastra: "Pieter Timmers may reach the finale"] (in Dutch). Gazet van Antwerpen. 31 July 2012. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
  4. "Qualifying Athletes – Men's 100 m freestyle" (PDF). FINA. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 November 2012. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
  5. "Kimberly Buys plaatst zich op 100 meter vlinderslag voor Olympische Spelen" [Kimberly Buys place within 100 meters butterfly for Olympics] (in Dutch). Het Nieuwsblad. 22 January 2012. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
  6. "Men's 4×100m Freestyle Relay Final". London 2012. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
  7. "2012 London Olympics: Four Years After Being on Wrong End of History, French Anchor Way to Men's 400-meter Freestyle Relay Triumph". Swimming World Magazine. 29 July 2012. Archived from the original on 28 January 2013. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
  8. "2012 London Olympics: Nathan Adrian Blasts Top Time in Men's 100 Free Prelims; World-Record Holder Cesar Cielo Makes Semis; Cullen Jones Qualifies Ninth". Swimming World Magazine. 29 July 2012. Archived from the original on 28 January 2013. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
  9. "Men's 100m Freestyle Heat 7". London 2012. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
  10. "Men's 100m Freestyle Semifinal 2". London 2012. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
  11. "Men's 4×200m Freestyle Relay Heat 2". London 2012. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
  12. "Hannah Miley, Rikke Moeller Pedersen set Euro records on last night of Euro Short Course Champs". Swimming World Magazine. 25 November 2012. Archived from the original on 3 February 2013. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
  13. "Euro : deuxième médaille d'argent belge grâce à Pieter Timmers sur 200 m nage libre" [Euro: Second silver medal for Belgium with Pieter Timmers in the 200m freestyle] (in French). L'Avenir. 25 November 2012. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
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