Stephen Parry (swimmer)
Encyclopedia
Stephen ("Steve") Benjamin Parry (born 2 March 1977) is a former British
butterfly swimmer. He competed internationally in 100-metre and 200-metre butterfly
distances.
Parry was born in Liverpool
, and as a boy attended Booker Avenue Junior School and the Liverpool Blue Coat School
in Wavertree
. He first joined a swimming club in Woolton
, and then went on to swim for the Liverpool Penguins and City of Liverpool clubs. He started training seriously when he was twelve years of age, but also enjoyed playing cricket
and basketball
for his school teams. Training became more intense when he was sixteen, and he qualified for the European Junior Championships. The following year, aged 17, he won the competition for Great Britain.
Aged eighteen, Parry left the UK to attend Florida State University
, studying marketing and finance alongside his swimming. He excelled during his time in the United States
, winning the NCAA title in the 200 m butterfly. After returning to Britain and joining Stockport Metro, he set a Commonwealth record at the 2000 US Nationals in Seattle, beating, among others, a very young Michael Phelps. Later that year he qualified for his first Olympic Games in Sydney.
Four years later in Athens, Greece, Parry won Britain's first Olympic swimming medal in eight years at the Athens Summer Olympics
in 200-metres butterfly
, being beaten by Michael Phelps
and Takashi Yamamoto. Phelps had beaten him into 4th place at Sydney
four years earlier. Parry retired from competitive swimming in 2005.
After retiring, Parry joined up with former training partner Adrian Turner
to create a swimming training program for young people called Total Swimming. He briefly hosted his own Sunday afternoon programme on BBC Radio Merseyside
before joining BBC Sport
as part of their team covering the swimming at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
butterfly swimmer. He competed internationally in 100-metre and 200-metre butterfly
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
distances.
Parry was born in Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, and as a boy attended Booker Avenue Junior School and the Liverpool Blue Coat School
Liverpool Blue Coat School
The Liverpool Blue Coat School is a voluntary aided secondary school located in Wavertree, Liverpool and is Liverpool's only Grammar School. The school was for many years a boys' school but as of September 2002 it has reverted to its original coeducational remit.The Blue Coat School holds a...
in Wavertree
Wavertree
Wavertree is an area of Liverpool, in Merseyside, England, and is a Liverpool City Council ward. It is bordered by a number of districts to the south and east of Liverpool city centre from Toxteth, Edge Hill, Fairfield, Old Swan, Childwall and Mossley Hill....
. He first joined a swimming club in Woolton
Woolton
Woolton is a suburb of Liverpool, Merseyside, England and a Liverpool City Council Ward. It is located at the south of the city, bordered by Gateacre, Hunts Cross, Allerton and Halewood. At the 2001 Census the population was recorded as 14,836.-History:...
, and then went on to swim for the Liverpool Penguins and City of Liverpool clubs. He started training seriously when he was twelve years of age, but also enjoyed playing cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
and basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
for his school teams. Training became more intense when he was sixteen, and he qualified for the European Junior Championships. The following year, aged 17, he won the competition for Great Britain.
Aged eighteen, Parry left the UK to attend Florida State University
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
, studying marketing and finance alongside his swimming. He excelled during his time in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, winning the NCAA title in the 200 m butterfly. After returning to Britain and joining Stockport Metro, he set a Commonwealth record at the 2000 US Nationals in Seattle, beating, among others, a very young Michael Phelps. Later that year he qualified for his first Olympic Games in Sydney.
Four years later in Athens, Greece, Parry won Britain's first Olympic swimming medal in eight years at the Athens 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 200-metres butterfly
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
, being beaten by 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 Takashi Yamamoto. Phelps had beaten him into 4th place at Sydney
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...
four years earlier. Parry retired from competitive swimming in 2005.
After retiring, Parry joined up with former training partner Adrian Turner
Adrian Turner
Adrian Turner is an actor and former British Olympic swimmer, known also for winning silver and bronze medals representing England at the 2002 Commonwealth Games....
to create a swimming training program for young people called Total Swimming. He briefly hosted his own Sunday afternoon programme on BBC Radio Merseyside
BBC Radio Merseyside
BBC Radio Merseyside is the BBC Local Radio service for the English metropolitan county of Merseyside and north Cheshire. It was the third BBC local radio station to launch on 22 November 1967 initially serving the south west of historic Lancashire....
before joining BBC Sport
BBC Sport
BBC Sport is the sports division of the BBC. It became a fully dedicated division of the BBC in 2000. It incorporates programmes such as Match of the Day, Grandstand , Test Match Special, Ski Sunday, Rugby Special and coverage of Formula One motor racing, MotoGP and the Wimbledon Tennis...
as part of their team covering the swimming at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Personal bests and records held
| Event | Long course | Short course |
|---|---|---|
| 200 m freestyle | 1.50.92 | 1.48.39 |
| 100 m backstroke | 53.15 | |
| 200 m backstroke | 1.54.11 | |
| 100 m butterfly | 53.80 | 52.53 |
| 200 m butterfly | 1:55.52 NR | 1.52.91 |
| 200 m individual medley | 1.59.50 | |
| 400 m individual medley | 4.13.09 | |
| Key NR:British | ||