Aruba at The 2008 Summer Olympics - Swimming

Swimming

Netherlands-born Jan Roodzant was the only Aruban swimmer to participate in the Beijing Summer Olympics.

Roodzant spent the year prior to the Olympics with trainer Ismael Santiesteban preparing in Gainesville, Florida, receiving specialist training alongside the University of Florida's swim team. He returned to Aruba for a few days, starting February 26, 2008, but soon returned to the United States to resume his training. Roodzant sook to qualify for FINA by doing well at the CARIFTA Swimming Championships; in qualifying for FINA, Roodzant secured a spot in the Beijing Olympics.

Roodzant completed his last practice in Beijing on August 11, 2008, the day before his competition. Roodzant was assigned to heat 2 for his race. He was the fastest swimmer in his heat during the preliminaries of August 12, with a time of 51.69s in the Men's 100 m freestyle event. Overall, however, he was 53rd out of 64 in the event, and as a result, he did not advance.

Men
Athlete Event Heat Semifinal Final
Time Rank Time Rank Time Rank
Jan Roodzant 100 m freestyle 51.69 53 Did not advance

Read more about this topic:  Aruba At The 2008 Summer Olympics

Famous quotes containing the word swimming:

    Whenever parents become overly invested in a particular skill or accomplishment, a child’s fear of failure multiplies. This is why some children refuse to get into the pool for a swimming lesson, or turn their back on Daddy’s favorite sport.
    Cathy Rindner Tempelsman (20th century)

    Mead had studied for the ministry, but had lost his faith and took great delight in blasphemy. Capt. Charles H. Frady, pioneer missionary, held a meeting here and brought Mead back into the fold. He then became so devout that, one Sunday, when he happened upon a swimming party, he shot at the people in the river, and threatened to kill anyone he again caught desecrating the Sabbath.
    —For the State of Nebraska, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)

    Loosed betwixt eye and lid, the swimming beams
    Of memory, blind school of cuttlefish,
    Rise to the air, plunge to the cold streams....
    Allen Tate (1899–1979)