Geoff Huegill
Encyclopedia
Geoffrey Andrew Huegill (born 4 March 1979 in Gove
, Northern Territory
), nicknamed Skippy and Skip, is an Australian butterfly swimmer
. He is a multiple Olympic, World, Pan Pacific and Commonwealth Games medallist, and a previous world record holder in the 50m Butterfly
.
father and a Thai
mother.In 2009, he was also featured in the first season
of Australia's Next Top Model
as a model the girls had to work with. Huegill is also a known supporter of the Brisbane Broncos
.
in Fukuoka, Huegill captured bronze in the 100m butterfly and gold in the 50 m butterfly with a time of 23.76 s, breaking the world record in the semi-finals. He collected gold in the 4x100m Medley Relay on the final night.
At the 2003 World Aquatics Championships in Barcelona, Huegill placed fourth in the 50 m butterfly with a time of 23.76 s and thirteenth in the 100 m butterfly with a time of 53.13 s.
in Athens, Huegill placed eighth in the 100 m butterfly with a time of 52.56 s.
2010 brought enormous improvements, clocking 23.44 in the 50m butterfly to win the Australian title, just 0.02s off his old world record from 2001. His 100 fly was 53.09 finishing 5th. In a post-swim interview he claimed to be a lean 93 kg. At the 2010 Pan Pacs
he clocked 23.27 in the heats of the 50 fly but was not able to back up that form in the finals, finishing just outside the medals. His 100 fly was 52.21, his 2nd fastest time ever, faster than his bronze medal swim in Sydney almost 10 years before. He picked up a bronze medal in the Medley Relay. At the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games he won gold medals in the 4x100m medley and the 100m butterfly breaking a ten year-old personal best when winning in 51.69s (Commonwealth games record). He was narrowly beaten by 0.02s in the in the 50m butterfly by the Kenyan Jason Dunford in a time of 23.37. Huegill swam at the 2010 FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m), no medals were achieved however he did earn his name back into the record list with an Australian record the 4x100m Medley relay.
.
Gove Peninsula
The Gove Peninsula is at the northeastern corner of Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory of Australia. The peninsula became strategically important during World War II when an airforce base was constructed at what is now Gove Airport. The peninsula was named after Pilot Officer William Gove, who...
, Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
), nicknamed Skippy and Skip, is an Australian butterfly swimmer
Butterfly stroke
The butterfly is a swimming stroke swum on the breast, with both arms moving simultaneously. The butterfly kick was developed separately, and is also known as the "dolphin kick"...
. He is a multiple Olympic, World, Pan Pacific and Commonwealth Games medallist, and a previous world record holder in the 50m Butterfly
Butterfly stroke
The butterfly is a swimming stroke swum on the breast, with both arms moving simultaneously. The butterfly kick was developed separately, and is also known as the "dolphin kick"...
.
Personal life
Huegill was born to a Caucasian AustralianAustralian people
Australian people, or simply Australians, are the citizens of Australia. Australia is a multi-ethnic nation, and therefore the term "Australian" is not a racial identifier. Aside from the Indigenous Australian population, nearly all Australians or their ancestors immigrated within the past 230 years...
father and a Thai
Thai people
The Thai people, or Siamese, are the main ethnic group of Thailand and are part of the larger Tai ethnolinguistic peoples found in Thailand and adjacent countries in Southeast Asia as well as southern China. Their language is the Thai language, which is classified as part of the Kradai family of...
mother.In 2009, he was also featured in the first season
Australia's Next Top Model, Cycle 1
Cycle one of Australia's Next Top Model began airing on 4 January 2005 with 10 ladies competing for the title. There was no international destination for this cycle...
of Australia's Next Top Model
Australia's Next Top Model
Australia's Next Top Model is an Australian reality television series, based on a franchise that was created by Tyra Banks with America's Next Top Model...
as a model the girls had to work with. Huegill is also a known supporter of the Brisbane Broncos
Brisbane Broncos
The Brisbane Broncos are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the city of Brisbane, the capital of the state of Queensland. Founded in 1988, the Broncos play in Australasia's elite competition, the National Rugby League premiership. They have won six premierships and two...
.
Career
Huegill has been part of Australian swim Team from 1997–2004 & 2010, where he has won 28 international medals1998 World Aquatics Championships
He picked up his first World Championship Gold in 1998 World Championships Perth, swimming for the 4x100 Medley B team, as well as collecting Bronze in the 100m Butterfly.2000 Summer Olympics
At the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Huegill qualified fastest for the 100m butterfly final, with a time of 51.96. However he swam a touch slower in the final, settling for bronze in a time of 52.22. He collected a silver in the 4x100m Medley Relay on the final night with an Australian record of 3:35.27, his butterfly split of 51.33 was the fastest 100m fly split.2001 & 2003 World Aquatics Championships
At the 2001 World Aquatics Championships2001 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, Huegill captured bronze in the 100m butterfly and gold in the 50 m butterfly with a time of 23.76 s, breaking the world record in the semi-finals. He collected gold in the 4x100m Medley Relay on the final night.
At the 2003 World Aquatics Championships in Barcelona, Huegill placed fourth in the 50 m butterfly with a time of 23.76 s and thirteenth in the 100 m butterfly with a time of 53.13 s.
2004 Summer Olympics
At the 2004 Summer Olympics2004 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 Athens, Huegill placed eighth in the 100 m butterfly with a time of 52.56 s.
Retirement
Huegeill attempted to qualify for the Australian team at the 2005 & 2006 Australian Championships, however he was unsuccessful.Comeback
On 12 November 2008, Huegill announced his comeback to competitive swimming. Having had major battles with his weight since quitting the sport following the 2004 Athens Olympics. He said he had lost more than 40 kilograms (coming from 138 kg) for his comeback and would train for the 50 and 100 butterfly with the aim of competing at the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games. He sparked attention of the Australian sports media by qualifying for the finals in the 50m and 100m Butterfly at the 2009 Telstra Australian Championships (being interviewed after every swim). He built more momentum in August 2009 at the Australian Short Course Championships, capturing his first national medal in 5 years.2010 brought enormous improvements, clocking 23.44 in the 50m butterfly to win the Australian title, just 0.02s off his old world record from 2001. His 100 fly was 53.09 finishing 5th. In a post-swim interview he claimed to be a lean 93 kg. At the 2010 Pan Pacs
2010 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships
The eleventh edition of the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, also known as the 2010 Mutual of Omaha Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, a long course event, was held in Irvine, California, United States, from August 18–22....
he clocked 23.27 in the heats of the 50 fly but was not able to back up that form in the finals, finishing just outside the medals. His 100 fly was 52.21, his 2nd fastest time ever, faster than his bronze medal swim in Sydney almost 10 years before. He picked up a bronze medal in the Medley Relay. At the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games he won gold medals in the 4x100m medley and the 100m butterfly breaking a ten year-old personal best when winning in 51.69s (Commonwealth games record). He was narrowly beaten by 0.02s in the in the 50m butterfly by the Kenyan Jason Dunford in a time of 23.37. Huegill swam at the 2010 FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m), no medals were achieved however he did earn his name back into the record list with an Australian record the 4x100m Medley relay.
Potential 3rd Olympics
During a media conference at the Bondi Icebergs pool on 21 January 2011, Huegill announced his intention to compete at the 2012 Summer Olympics2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the "London 2012 Olympic Games", are scheduled to take place in London, England, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012...
.