Franziska van Almsick

Franziska van Almsick is a retired German competitive swimmer, born April 5, 1978, in East Berlin, who specialized in freestyle events. A former world record holder in the 200 meter freestyle, she won ten career Olympic medals, four silver and six bronze, across four Olympic Games from 1992 to 2004, competing at age 14 in Barcelona. She won two gold, two silver and two bronze medals in long course World Championships, and 18 gold medals at European Championships. She holds the record for the most career Olympic medals, ten, without ever winning a gold medal, was named Swimming World's Female Swimmer of the Year in 1993, and was named German Sportswoman of the Year in 1993, 1995 and 2002. In 1995 the New York Times described her as the swimmer who united a nation during the period of German reunification.