Ian van der Wal was an Australian sprint-middle distance freestyle swimmer, who represented Australia at the 1996 Summer Olympics

Australia at the 1996 Summer Olympics

Australia competed at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, United States. Australia sent a record team of 424 athletes, 254 men and 170 women, to the Atlanta Games. Most notable is the number of women, easily more than double the then-record 74 women who had competed in Seoul just eight years earlier...

 in Atlanta. He was a member of the 4x100m and 4x200m freestyle relay teams. He trained at the Commercial Swimming Club

Commercial Swimming Club

Commercial Swimming Club is a swimming club that is based at the Fortitude Valley Pool in centre of Brisbane, Queensland. It is one of the most successful clubs in Australia and has produced many Olympic swimmers and medalists.- Notable athletes :...

 in Brisbane

Brisbane

Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...

.

In 1997, he competed at the 1997 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships

1997 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships

The seventh edition of the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, a long course event, was held in Fukuoka, Japan, from August 10–13, 1997.-Men's events:-Women's events:-References:**...

 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...

, where he combined with Michael Klim

Michael Klim

Michael Klim OAM is a Polish-born Australian swimmer. He was born in Gdynia. He was educated at the University High School, Melbourne and Wesley College, Melbourne where he is currently employed as the College's elite Head Coach of swimming...

, 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...

 and Ian Thorpe

Ian Thorpe

Ian James Thorpe OAM , nicknamed the Thorpedo and Thorpey, is an Australian swimmer who specialises in freestyle, but also competes in backstroke and the individual medley. He has won five Olympic gold medals, the most won by any Australian, and with three gold and two silver medals, was the most...

to earn a silver medal in the 4x200m freestyle relay.