Erik Vendt
Encyclopedia
Erik Vendt is a retired American
swimmer. He won a silver medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics
and the 2004 Summer Olympics
. In 2001 he won the silver medal in the 400 m individual medley at the 2001 World Aquatics Championships
in Fukuoka
, Japan
.
Named 2002 NCAA Swimmer of the Year after winning the 1650 yd freestyle and 400 yd IM, and placing second in the 500 yd free. Vendt broke the 16-year-old American record in 1500 m free, becoming the first American to break 15 minutes with a time of 14:59.11 at 2000 Olympic Trials.
Erik Vendt attended Boston College High School
in Dorchester, MA. While in high school, Vendt swam for the United States Club Swimming Team Ocean State Squids under head coach Joshua Stern. While swimming for the Boston College high school swim team, Vendt was able to set a state record as a senior in the 500 free style with a time of 4:24.35 (1999), which is still the record today. Vendt then attended the University of Southern California
and was a five-time NCAA title winner, 13-time All-American and seven-time Pac-10 title winner as a Trojan.
After the 2004 Olympics, Vendt retired for almost a year before returning to competition. Vendt returned to train at Club Wolverine under Bob Bowman
, alongside Klete Keller
, Michael Phelps
, and Peter Vanderkaay
.
In 2001 Erik won silver in the 400 m individual medley at the 2001 World Aquatics Championship in Fukuoka, Japan.
Most recently, Erik broke the American record in the 1000 y dfreestyle with a time of 8:36.49 on January 18, 2008, at the Southern California Grand Prix meet.
On February 18, 2008, Erik Vendt posted a 1500 meter freestyle time of 14:47.59 while at the Missouri Grand Prix. In the process he set a US Open record, set previously by Grant Hackett
in 2003.
On May 15, 2008 in California, Vendt posted a 14:46.78, then 2008's fastest in the 1500 m, thereby appearing to set up a likely duel in the Beijing Olympics 1500 m final with Grant Hackett
, who posted a 14:48.65 at the Australia
n Olympic Trials in March and is the two-time defending Olympic champion in the event. But it was not to be, as Vendt finished 4th in the 1500 m final of the U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha on July 6.
Vendt won a gold medal in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing by swimming in the heats of the 4×200 meter freestyle relay.
On September 2, 2008 Vendt participated as a special speaker at Ron Paul's Campaign for Liberty
Rally for the Republic event in Minneapolis, Minnesota
.
After the 2008 Olympics concluded, Erik Vendt relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area. He works for a successful financial company in San Francisco.
Erik Vendt has recently quit his job in San Francisco and relocated to Singapore in October 2010.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
swimmer. He won a silver medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
and the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
. In 2001 he won the silver medal in the 400 m individual medley at the 2001 World Aquatics Championships
2001 World Aquatics Championships
rightThe 2001 World Aquatics Championships or the 9th FINA World Swimming Championships were held in Fukuoka, Japan between 16 July and 29 July 2001....
in Fukuoka
Fukuoka, Fukuoka
is the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture and is situated on the northern shore of the island of Kyushu in Japan.Voted number 14 in a 2010 poll of the World's Most Livable Cities, Fukuoka is praised for its green spaces in a metropolitan setting. It is the most populous city in Kyushu, followed by...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
Named 2002 NCAA Swimmer of the Year after winning the 1650 yd freestyle and 400 yd IM, and placing second in the 500 yd free. Vendt broke the 16-year-old American record in 1500 m free, becoming the first American to break 15 minutes with a time of 14:59.11 at 2000 Olympic Trials.
Erik Vendt attended Boston College High School
Boston College High School
Founded in 1863, Boston College High School is an all-male Jesuit Roman Catholic college preparatory secondary school with historical ties to Boston College. It has an enrollment in grades 7-12 of approximately 1,500 students and is located on a campus on Morrissey Boulevard in the Dorchester...
in Dorchester, MA. While in high school, Vendt swam for the United States Club Swimming Team Ocean State Squids under head coach Joshua Stern. While swimming for the Boston College high school swim team, Vendt was able to set a state record as a senior in the 500 free style with a time of 4:24.35 (1999), which is still the record today. Vendt then attended the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
and was a five-time NCAA title winner, 13-time All-American and seven-time Pac-10 title winner as a Trojan.
After the 2004 Olympics, Vendt retired for almost a year before returning to competition. Vendt returned to train at Club Wolverine under Bob Bowman
Bob Bowman
Bob Bowman may refer to:*Bob Bowman , swimming coach for Michael Phelps*Bob Bowman , retired Air Force pilot, and democratic candidate for Florida's 15th congressional district...
, alongside Klete Keller
Klete Keller
Klete Keller is an American freestyle swimmer who won medals at the 2000 Summer Olympics and the 2004 Summer Olympics in the 400 m freestyle and the 4x200 m freestyle relay. In the 4x200 m freestyle relay, Keller held off a charging Ian Thorpe in the anchor leg to win the race by 0.13 seconds...
, Michael Phelps
Michael Phelps
Michael Fred Phelps is an American swimmer who has, overall, won 16 Olympic medals—six gold and two bronze at Athens in 2004, and eight gold at Beijing in 2008, becoming the most successful athlete at both of these Olympic Games editions...
, and Peter Vanderkaay
Peter Vanderkaay
Peter Vanderkaay is an American middle-distance freestyle swimmer. He is a three-time Olympic medalist.-Personal life:...
.
In 2001 Erik won silver in the 400 m individual medley at the 2001 World Aquatics Championship in Fukuoka, Japan.
Most recently, Erik broke the American record in the 1000 y dfreestyle with a time of 8:36.49 on January 18, 2008, at the Southern California Grand Prix meet.
On February 18, 2008, Erik Vendt posted a 1500 meter freestyle time of 14:47.59 while at the Missouri Grand Prix. In the process he set a US Open record, set previously by Grant Hackett
Grant Hackett
Grant Hackett OAM is an Australian former swimmer most famous for winning the men's 1500 metres freestyle race at both the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney and the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. This achievement has led him to be regarded as one of the greatest distance swimmers in history...
in 2003.
On May 15, 2008 in California, Vendt posted a 14:46.78, then 2008's fastest in the 1500 m, thereby appearing to set up a likely duel in the Beijing Olympics 1500 m final with Grant Hackett
Grant Hackett
Grant Hackett OAM is an Australian former swimmer most famous for winning the men's 1500 metres freestyle race at both the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney and the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. This achievement has led him to be regarded as one of the greatest distance swimmers in history...
, who posted a 14:48.65 at the Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n Olympic Trials in March and is the two-time defending Olympic champion in the event. But it was not to be, as Vendt finished 4th in the 1500 m final of the U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha on July 6.
Vendt won a gold medal in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing by swimming in the heats of the 4×200 meter freestyle relay.
On September 2, 2008 Vendt participated as a special speaker at Ron Paul's Campaign for Liberty
Ron Paul's Campaign for Liberty
Campaign for Liberty is a political organization founded by twelve-term United States Congressman Ron Paul. The Campaign for Liberty focuses on educating elected officials and the general public about constitutional issues, and currently provides a membership program. Its legal status is that of a...
Rally for the Republic event in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
.
After the 2008 Olympics concluded, Erik Vendt relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area. He works for a successful financial company in San Francisco.
Erik Vendt has recently quit his job in San Francisco and relocated to Singapore in October 2010.