Peter Vanderkaay
Encyclopedia
Peter Vanderkaay is an American
middle-distance freestyle swimmer. He is a three-time Olympic medalist.
and attended Rochester Adams High School
. He has three brothers, all of whom are competitive swimmers. His older brother Christian Vanderkaay swam for the University of Michigan and qualified for the 100 m breaststroke at the 2008 Olympic trials. His younger brother Alex Vanderkaay
qualified for the 2008 Olympic trials in several events, competing and making the finals in the 400 m individual medley, 200 m butterfly and the 200 m medley. His third and youngest brother, Dane Vanderkaay, also qualified for the 2008 US Olympic trials in the 400 m freestyle.
.
Vanderkaay holds a total of six NCAA titles and 14 Big Ten Conference
titles. He also won a silver and two bronze medals representing the US at the 2003 World University Games
. In his freshman year in college, he was Big Ten Champion in the 500-yard freestyle and the 800-yard freestyle relay. He also was NCAA All-American in the 500 and the mile.
By the end of his sophomore year, he won four more Big Ten titles in the 400-yard IM, 500-yard freestyle, 1,650 freestyle and 800-yard freestyle relay. In short course metres, Vanderkaay also was the NCAA Champion in the 400 m free, the 1500 m free and the 800 m free relay, and placed fifth in the 200 m free.
In his junior year, Vanderkaay repeated his four Big Ten victories, and was named Big Ten Swimmer of the Year. He was named All-American in the 200-yard freestyle, 500-yard freestyle, 1,650-yard freestyle, 800-yard freestyle relay, 400-yard medley relay.
In his senior year at Michigan, he was the senior co-captain for the Michigan Wolverines. He won four more Big Ten titles, 200-yard freestyle, 500-yard freestyle, 1650-yard freestyle and 800-yard freestyle relay, and one final NCAA title in the 500. Vanderkaay also placed second in both the 200 and 1650 yard freestyles at the NCAA meet.
, Vanderkaay was a member of the 4x200 m freestyle relay team, along with Michael Phelps
, Ryan Lochte
, and Klete Keller
, that beat the favored Australian team of Ian Thorpe
, Grant Hackett
, Michael Klim
, and Nicholas Sprenger
.
At the 2005 World Aquatics Championships
in Montreal
, Vanderkaay won a gold medal in the 4x200 m freestyle relay. Along with Phelps, Lochte, and Keller, their time of 7:06.58 was an American record.
At the 2007 FINA World Championships in Melbourne
, Vanderkaay again swam in the relay with Lochte, Phelps, Keller. They set a world record in the 4x200 m freestyle relay with a time of 7:03.24.
In the summer of 2007, Vanderkaay posted a career performance at U.S. Nationals, beating Michael Phelps for first place in the 400 m freestyle. Vanderkaay also teamed up with Phelps, Davis Tarwater, Scott Spann
, and Chris DeJong to win two more golds, one in the 4x100 m freestyle relay and another in the 4x100 m medley relay.
Vanderkaay won his first individual medal, a bronze, in the 200 m freestyle at the 2008 Summer Olympics
. Vanderkaay was part of the 4x200 meter freestyle relay that set the world record as the American team finished first with a time of 6:58.56. The Americans were the first team to break the seven-minute mark in the relay, and broke the previous record, set in Melbourne by more than four and a half seconds.
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
middle-distance freestyle swimmer. He is a three-time Olympic medalist.
Personal life
Vanderkaay is originally from Rochester Hills, MichiganRochester Hills, Michigan
Rochester Hills is an affluent city in northeast Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 70,995. The city of Rochester is bounded on the north, south, and west by Rochester Hills...
and attended Rochester Adams High School
Rochester Adams High School
For schools with similar names, see Adams High School.Rochester Adams High School is a high school located in Rochester Hills, Michigan and is part of the Rochester Community Schools district...
. He has three brothers, all of whom are competitive swimmers. His older brother Christian Vanderkaay swam for the University of Michigan and qualified for the 100 m breaststroke at the 2008 Olympic trials. His younger brother Alex Vanderkaay
Alex Vanderkaay
Alex Vanderkaay is an American swimmer. At the 2007 World University Games, Vanderkaay won the silver medal in the 400m IM. At the 2009 World University Games, he won the gold medal in the 200m IM and again the silver medal in the 400m IM...
qualified for the 2008 Olympic trials in several events, competing and making the finals in the 400 m individual medley, 200 m butterfly and the 200 m medley. His third and youngest brother, Dane Vanderkaay, also qualified for the 2008 US Olympic trials in the 400 m freestyle.
High school and collegiate career
Peter Vanderkaay is a two-time Michigan High School State Champion in the 500-yard freestyle (2001, 2002), and is the 2001 state champion in the 200-yard freestyle. He graduated in the class of 2002, and swam for the The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MichiganAnn Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
.
Vanderkaay holds a total of six NCAA titles and 14 Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
titles. He also won a silver and two bronze medals representing the US at the 2003 World University Games
2003 Summer Universiade
The 2003 Summer Universiade, also known as the XXII Summer Universiade, took place in Daegu, South Korea.-Emblem:* The alphabet letter "U" and five stars, which is FISU's emblem, make up the basis of the emblem for the Daegu Universiade....
. In his freshman year in college, he was Big Ten Champion in the 500-yard freestyle and the 800-yard freestyle relay. He also was NCAA All-American in the 500 and the mile.
By the end of his sophomore year, he won four more Big Ten titles in the 400-yard IM, 500-yard freestyle, 1,650 freestyle and 800-yard freestyle relay. In short course metres, Vanderkaay also was the NCAA Champion in the 400 m free, the 1500 m free and the 800 m free relay, and placed fifth in the 200 m free.
In his junior year, Vanderkaay repeated his four Big Ten victories, and was named Big Ten Swimmer of the Year. He was named All-American in the 200-yard freestyle, 500-yard freestyle, 1,650-yard freestyle, 800-yard freestyle relay, 400-yard medley relay.
In his senior year at Michigan, he was the senior co-captain for the Michigan Wolverines. He won four more Big Ten titles, 200-yard freestyle, 500-yard freestyle, 1650-yard freestyle and 800-yard freestyle relay, and one final NCAA title in the 500. Vanderkaay also placed second in both the 200 and 1650 yard freestyles at the NCAA meet.
International career
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...
, Vanderkaay was a member of the 4x200 m freestyle relay team, along with 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...
, Ryan Lochte
Ryan Lochte
Ryan Steven Lochte is an American swimmer and a six-time Olympic medalist . As part of the American team, he holds the world record in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay...
, and 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...
, that beat the favored Australian team of 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...
, 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...
, 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...
, and Nicholas Sprenger
Nicholas Sprenger
Nicholas Sprenger is an Australian middle distance freestyle swimmer, who won a silver medal in the 4x200 m freestyle relay at the 2004 Athens Olympics....
.
At the 2005 World Aquatics Championships
2005 World Aquatics Championships
The 2005 World Aquatics Championships or the XI FINA World Championships were held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada from July 16 to July 31, 2005...
in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Vanderkaay won a gold medal in the 4x200 m freestyle relay. Along with Phelps, Lochte, and Keller, their time of 7:06.58 was an American record.
At the 2007 FINA World Championships in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Vanderkaay again swam in the relay with Lochte, Phelps, Keller. They set a world record in the 4x200 m freestyle relay with a time of 7:03.24.
In the summer of 2007, Vanderkaay posted a career performance at U.S. Nationals, beating Michael Phelps for first place in the 400 m freestyle. Vanderkaay also teamed up with Phelps, Davis Tarwater, Scott Spann
Scott Spann
-Career:At the 2008 US Olympic trials, Spann won the 200m breaststroke in 2:09.97, earning a spot on the US Olympic Team roster. Spann also placed third in the 100m breaststroke at trials in 1:00.59....
, and Chris DeJong to win two more golds, one in the 4x100 m freestyle relay and another in the 4x100 m medley relay.
Vanderkaay won his first individual medal, a bronze, in the 200 m freestyle at the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
. Vanderkaay was part of the 4x200 meter freestyle relay that set the world record as the American team finished first with a time of 6:58.56. The Americans were the first team to break the seven-minute mark in the relay, and broke the previous record, set in Melbourne by more than four and a half seconds.
Move to Gator Swim Club
On December 20, 2010, Vanderkaay announced that he would be moving leaving Ann Arbor and Club Wolverine, where he had trained for over 8 years, to move to Florida and train with the Gator Swim Club in Gainesville. The Gator Swim Club is coached by Gregg Troy, the coach of the National Team through the 2012 Olympics, and is home to many elite swimmers including Ryan LochteRyan Lochte
Ryan Steven Lochte is an American swimmer and a six-time Olympic medalist . As part of the American team, he holds the world record in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay...
.