James Magnussen

James Magnussen (* April 11 1991 in Port Macquarie, New South Wales) is an Australian swimmer. In 2010 he joined internationally for the first time as a member of the Australian 4x100 -meter freestyle relay in appearance. A year later he became the first Australian world title on the 100-meter freestyle.

Biography

Training and initial success

James Magnussen was born in Port Macquarie, where he also grew up and attended school, including the St Joseph's Regional College visited, . He has a brother. The family of his father, who is a professional accountant who was originally from Norway, where distant relatives still live. His mother, an English and history teacher, was an active basketball player. In his youth, Magnussen did besides swimming like his father as a rugby league player out before he completely turned the swimming sport after a defeat with his team: " [ ... ] because I [ while swimming ] complete control over everything had what is happening and I am dependent on anyone else. When I get on the block, is there only one person of importance and I am. I live well and successfully by the sense of responsibility and control over the situation, "said Magnussen in 2011. According to former Australian national coach Alan Thompson was Magnussen been discovered at a young age for the sport of swimming, but was not one of the best in his age group. So he went through the system slowly and remained in his hometown. As a 16 -year-old took the two-time champion youth participated in the Australian qualifying heats for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, but failed to qualify for the national team. Thereupon Magnussen took in 2009 a one-year break from swimming, to make his high school degree and traveled to Norway to learn about his family roots in more detail.

The following year made ​​the breakthrough Magnussen at the national level dar. The float moved alone from his home town of Port Macquarie to Sydney, where he found a new coach in former competitive swimmer Brant Best and began to study at Macquarie University economy. In March 2010, Magnussen finished after only three months of training at the Australian elimination fights for the Commonwealth Games 2010 in Sydney with 49.43 seconds in third place on the 100-meter freestyle distance, behind winner Eamon Sullivan ( 48.52 s ) and Tommaso D ' Orsogna ( 49.35 s ). Although the 18- year-old was criticized by the Australian head coach Leigh Nugent in his dive phases and turning, he was first appointed to the Australian National Swimming Team. A few weeks later, Magnussen won the 100m freestyle of 17 at the Australian Age Championships in Sydney - and 18 -year-olds in 49.44 seconds. Magnussen was the year a member of the national sprint training group to Eamon Sullivan, Geoff Huegill and Andrew Lauterstein, who was trained by Grant Stoelwinder. He also studied with Brant Best periodically the Australian Institute of Sport in order to improve his start and his turning.

The following Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in August in the U.S. Irvine Magnussen had in common with Sullivan, Kyle Richardson and Cameron Prosser member of the Australian 4x100m freestyle relay, which in 3:14,30 minutes behind the U.S. by Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte ( 3:11,74 min) won the silver medal. The title bouts succeeded the Australians with 48.94 s for the first time to beat the 49 -second mark. What was needed professionalism to catch up to the world class, the Australian was by its own account until there deliberately, as he met people to whom train Magnussen conditions with Huegill, Sullivan and Lauterstein, awe inspired. A month later, Magnussen scored with his participation in the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India, to the new generation of Australian swimmer Thomas Fraser - Holmes to Emily Seebohm, Yolane Kukla and Katie Goldman. The internationally experienced little "country boy" was named as the final swimmer in the 4x100m freestyle relay and traded in advance as a great talent and potential legacy of Eamon Sullivan and Ian Thorpe. The Australian squadron to Magnussen, Sullivan, Kyle Richardson and Tommaso D' Orsogna was the high expectations and won in the new championship record of 3:13,92 min the gold medal ahead of the teams from England and South Africa. In the Short Course World Championships in Dubai in December succeeded Magnussen together with Richardson, D' Orsogna and Matthew Abood the Australian record to beat it by two seconds. However, the formation documented in the final of the 100-meter freestyle relay in a French victory in 3:06,18 minutes only fifth place.

Victory at the 2011 World Swimming Championships

2011 was from a sporting perspective to Magnussen's best year so far. The 19 -year-old lost a few pounds of weight and began to attack the 200-meter freestyle distance. He also found in the 16- year-old Australian sprinter Te Haumi Maxwell a new training colleagues. In early April Magnussen won at the Australian Championships for the first time the gold medal in the 100 - meter freestyle in front of the same age James Roberts and former world record holder and four-time champion Eamon Sullivan. With 48.29 seconds he set a Weltjahresbestzeit, undercutting his previous personal best by 0.39 seconds. About the 50 - meter freestyle Magnussen reached the final, where he ( 22,02 s ) s finished last in the victory Aboods in Matthew 22.52.

Celebrated as the latest Australian " swimmer " and " Sprint King," Magnussen went into the public self-confident and loose with the announced comeback of former world-class swimmer Michael Klim and Ian Thorpe around and took aim for the 2012 Olympics in London, a time of 47.5 seconds over the 100 - meter freestyle at. Due to his height of 1.95 meters, it is compared to a young Alexander Popov or Matt Biondi. Beginning of July Magnussen his favorite status just and won at the Australian Short Course Championships, the 100 - ( 46.98 s ) and 200 - meter freestyle ( 1:44,12 min). Although he was hampered at the World Swimming Championships 2011 in Shanghai by pneumonia at his preparations, he succeeded to earlier successes to tie. As the third fastest swimmer on the 100 - meter freestyle arrived, he won in 3:11,00 min together with Matt Targett, Matthew Abood and Eamon Sullivan the gold medal in the 4x100 -meter freestyle relay ahead of France and the United States. He swam here with 47.49 seconds ( first track: 23.1, second track: 24,39 ), the fastest train and the second fastest ever swum total time without the high-tech swimsuit. This had been banned in 2010 by the World Swimming Federation (FINA ). Four days after the season victory reached Magnussen as a big favorite and the singles final, where he became the youngest starter in 47.63 seconds before the Canadian Brent Hayden ( 47.95 s ) and the Frenchman William Meynard ( 48.00 s ) won his second gold medal. Magnussen wrote with this victory sporting history for his country - he is the first Australian world champion of the 100 meters freestyle, since the introduction of the World Swimming Championships in 1973, the last Australian winner on this track at a major sporting event Michael Wenden was at the 1968 Olympic Games. Mexico City was. Another silver medal won Magnussen as the final float of the Australian 4x100 -meter medley relay behind the United States.

After this success, Magnussen was elected in early December in his homeland of Australia's Swimmer of the Year. When choosing to Australia's athletes of the year he lost the cyclist Tour de France winner Cadel Evans. In the state of Queensland Championships in December Magnussen launched for the first time in a competition over the 200-meter freestyle distance on the long course, where he 1:49,09 min in behind the winner Cameron McEvoy ( 1:48,06 min) took second place. He plans in regard to the World Swimming Championships 2013 in Barcelona continue to gain experience about twice the distance.

Olympic Season 2012

In the 2012 Olympics, which take place in late July / early August in London, Magnussen was able to continue his previous best times. In the South Australian Championships in late January, he won the 100 - meter freestyle race at the Weltjahresbestzeit of 48.05 seconds before Matthew Abood ( 49.85 s ) and Eamon Sullivan ( 50.63 s ). The early law record, the Magnussen swam unshaven and in unausgeruhten state, surprised experts such as the former Dutch swimmer Pieter van den Hoogenband. The two-time 100 - meter freestyle Olympic champion Magnussen attested simultaneously a finer and more natural swimming style compared to the more powerful style of the reigning 100 - meter freestyle world record holder Cesar Cielo from Brazil. About 50 - meter freestyle Magnussen finished with a new personal best of 22.41 seconds behind Matt Targett ( 21.98 s ) and Abood ( 22.15 s ) for third place.

After a disappointing for him 100 - meter freestyle victory in just 49.02 seconds at the state championships of New South Wales before Cameron McEvoy ( 49.44 s ) and Tommaso D' Orsogna ( 49.46 s ) early February ( his 14. victory at this track in a row), Magnussen was at the Olympic qualifying heats in Adelaide in March sit up again. Although he had suffered in the run from an infection of the chest, which could only be treated with massages, he triumphed over his parade route in 47.10 seconds before almost the same young James Roberts ( 47.63 s ). This was the fourth fastest time ever swum over 100 - meter freestyle. The lie ahead Magnussen Cesar Cielo ( 46.91 s ), the Frenchman Alain Bernard ( 46.94 s ) and his compatriot Eamon Sullivan ( 47.05 s ) had at that time is still benefiting from the performance-enhancing full-body suits that banned from 2010 by the World Swimming Federation FINA had been. While the comeback of former Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe world class and Michael Klim failed Magnussen succeeded two days later and the victory over the 50 - meter freestyle in a new personal best of 21.74 seconds before Sullivan ( 21.92 s ) and Matthew Abood ( 21.94 s ). He will go in the Olympics, besides the two Freestyle tracks in the 4x100m freestyle relay at the start. As a self- declared goal is Magnussen had placed the achievement of three Olympic medals.

In his first competition at the Olympic Games, as the starting swimmer in the 4x100 -meter freestyle relay, Magnussen but missed the targeted medal. With slow for him 48.03 s he handed second behind the Americans Nathan Adrian. The Australian squadron in the further occupation with Matt Target, Eamon Sullivan and James Roberts finished but in 3:11,63 min with 1.7 seconds behind Olympic champion France only fourth place. For it was Magnussen claims to be the first major disappointment on an international level. His time was slower than that of teammates target and Sullivan, he led back to the fast-forward in the morning, where he had traveled the distance still in 47.3 s. Australia's head coach Leigh Nugent led the failure back to the high expectations for the season. A day later, Magnussen qualified with a time of 47.63 seconds for the fastest time on 1 August takes place 100 - meter freestyle final. The final he lost, after the turn in the guide lying, but to a hundredth of a second to Nathan Adrian at the stop in 47.53 seconds. With the final 4x100m medley relay in the cast Hayden Stoeckel, Christian Sprenger, Matt Target and Magnussen as the final swimmer Australia won the bronze medal behind the victorious Americans and the Japanese squadron.

Others

James Magnussen, also under the nickname " Maggie " or " The Missile " (Eng.: The rocket ) is known, lives in Drummoyne, a suburb of Sydney. Among his role models he counts among others, the Australian swimmer Michael Klim. In addition to Brant Best Tips from coaches as Gennadi Turetski, the former coach of Alexander Popov, who prepared and Ian Thorpe on his comeback Magnussen received. Public criticism in Australia brought Magnussen 2011 a statement on the online short- messaging service Twitter, according Adelaide an "absolute joke" was a place for the Olympic elimination contests in 2012 and would be attended too low. In return, Magnussen apologized later.

Magnussen concluded, inter alia, advertising contracts with Speedo, Mitsubishi, Samsung, and the Hong Kong men's underwear label jac5 from.

Personal Best (50 - meter track )

427995
de