Helen Denman
Encyclopedia
Helen Denman is an Australia
n breaststroke
swimmer of the 1990s, who won a silver medal in the 4x100m medley relay at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics
. She won an individual silver medal in the 100 m breaststroke at the 1998 World Aquatics Championships
in Perth
.
Denman qualified for her first international team at the Australian Championships in 1996, after winning the 100 m breaststroke.
At the 1996 Summer Olympics
in Atlanta, Denman placed 11th in the 100 m breaststroke, but fellow Australian Samantha Riley
won the bronze medal. This meant that Denman swum the breaststroke leg in the heats of the 4x100m medley relay, before being replaced by Riley in the team that trailed the United States
home in the final.
Competing in front of a partisan home crowd at the 1998 World Championships in Perth, Denman set a personal best in winning silver in the 100 m breaststroke, pushing American Kristy Kowal
to within an arm's length. She also combined with Meredith Smith, Petria Thomas
and Susie O'Neill in the final of the 4x100m medley relay to claim silver behind the Americans.
At the 1998 Commonwealth Games
in Kuala Lumpur
, Malaysia, Denman claimed gold in the 100 m breaststroke and the 4x100m medley relay. However, a form slump resulted in her omission from the national team in 1999. She made an unsuccessful attempt to qualify for the 2000 Summer Olympics
in Sydney
.
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 breaststroke
Breaststroke
The breaststroke is a swimming style in which the swimmer is on his or her chest and the torso does not rotate. It is the most popular recreational style due to its stability and the ability to keep the head out of the water a large portion of the time. In most swimming classes, beginners learn...
swimmer of the 1990s, who won a silver medal in the 4x100m medley relay at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
. She won an individual silver medal in the 100 m breaststroke at the 1998 World Aquatics Championships
1998 World Aquatics Championships
The 1998 World Aquatics Championships or the 8th FINA World Swimming Championships were held in Perth, Western Australia, Australia between 8 January and 17 January 1998....
in Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
.
Denman qualified for her first international team at the Australian Championships in 1996, after winning the 100 m breaststroke.
At the 1996 Summer Olympics
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
in Atlanta, Denman placed 11th in the 100 m breaststroke, but fellow Australian Samantha Riley
Samantha Riley
Samantha Linette Riley is an Australian breaststroke swimmer of Aboriginal descent of the 1990s who competed for Australia in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, winning three medals...
won the bronze medal. This meant that Denman swum the breaststroke leg in the heats of the 4x100m medley relay, before being replaced by Riley in the team that trailed the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
home in the final.
Competing in front of a partisan home crowd at the 1998 World Championships in Perth, Denman set a personal best in winning silver in the 100 m breaststroke, pushing American Kristy Kowal
Kristy Kowal
Kristina Ann Kowal is a swimmer from the United States, who won the silver medal in the 200 m breaststroke at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney....
to within an arm's length. She also combined with Meredith Smith, Petria Thomas
Petria Thomas
Petria Ann Thomas OAM is an Australian swimmer and Olympic gold medallist and a winner of 15 national titles. She was born in Lismore, New South Wales and grew up in the nearby town of Mullumbimby....
and Susie O'Neill in the final of the 4x100m medley relay to claim silver behind the Americans.
At the 1998 Commonwealth Games
1998 Commonwealth Games
The 1998 XVI Commonwealth Games were held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 11 September to 21 September 1998 making it the first Asian country to act as host and the last Commonwealth Games for the 20th century. A record 70 nations supplied 3638 athletes...
in Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
, Malaysia, Denman claimed gold in the 100 m breaststroke and the 4x100m medley relay. However, a form slump resulted in her omission from the national team in 1999. She made an unsuccessful attempt to qualify for 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...
in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
.