Penny Heyns
Biographical information
| Roles | Competed in Olympic Games |
|---|---|
| Sex | Female |
| Full name | Penelope "Penny"•Heyns |
| Used name | Penny•Heyns |
| Born | 8 November 1974 in Springs, Gauteng (RSA) |
| Measurements | 174 cm / 63 kg |
| Affiliations | Nebraska Cornhuskers, Lincoln (USA) |
| NOC |  South Africa |
| Medals | OG |
| Gold | 2 |
| Silver | 0 |
| Bronze | 1 |
| Total | 3 |
Biography
The last gold medal won by South Africa prior to its boycott due to apartheid was won by Joan Harrison, in the women’s 100 metre backstroke. Almost 44 years later to the day, Penny Heyns succeed her compatriot, winning the 100 breaststroke and, two days later, the 200 breaststroke, also bettering the world record in the heats of the 100. This made her the first person to ever achieve the breaststroke double at the same Games (later also achieved by Domenico Fioravanti and Kosuke Kitajima), and the first South African since Charles Winslow to win two Olympic gold medals. Heyns could not reproduce this feat at the 1998 Worlds, placing out of the medals, and blamed this on her coach Jan Birdman having left for Canada, although she joined him for the next season. This proved fruitful, as she would be named World Swimmer of the Year for the second time (after 1996). Not only did she win three silvers at the World Short Course Championships and two golds at the Pan Pacific Championships, she bettered a world record eleven times. Between 17 July and 26 September, she bettered (and held) the world record in the 50 m (short-course (1) and long-course (1)), 100 m (short-course (2) and long-course (3)) and 200 m (long course (4)) breaststroke. Competing at the 2000 Olympics, Heyns was not in the same form, but still managed to earn a bronze in the 100 m. She retired directly after the Olympics, and now gives swimming clinics and motivational speaches.
Results
| Games | Discipline (Sport) / Event | NOC / Team | Pos | Medal | As | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 Summer Olympics | Swimming (Aquatics) | RSA |
Penny Heyns | |||
| 100 metres Breaststroke, Women (Olympic) | 33 | |||||
| 200 metres Breaststroke, Women (Olympic) | 34 | |||||
| 4 × 100 metres Medley Relay, Women (Olympic) | South Africa | 16 | ||||
| 1996 Summer Olympics | Swimming (Aquatics) | RSA |
Penny Heyns | |||
| 100 metres Breaststroke, Women (Olympic) | 1 | Gold | ||||
| 200 metres Breaststroke, Women (Olympic) | 1 | Gold | ||||
| 4 × 100 metres Medley Relay, Women (Olympic) | South Africa | 4 | ||||
| 2000 Summer Olympics | Swimming (Aquatics) | RSA |
Penny Heyns | |||
| 100 metres Breaststroke, Women (Olympic) | 3 | Bronze | ||||
| 200 metres Breaststroke, Women (Olympic) | 20 |
Special Notes
- Listed in Olympians Who Won a Medal at the Summer Universiade (2–1–1 1995 Fukuoka SWI gold: 100 m breaststroke and 200 m breaststroke; 1997 Catania SWI silver: 100 m breaststroke, bronze: 4×100 m medley relay)
- Listed in Olympians Who Set a World Record in Long Course Swimming (50 m breaststroke – 29 August 1999 - 30 July 2002: 30.83 (29 August 1999; Sydney, AUS); 100 m breaststroke – 4 March 1996 - 21 July 2003: 1:07.46 (4 March 1996; Durban, RSA), 1:07.02 (21 July 1996; Atlanta, USA), 1:06.99 (18 July 1999; Los Angeles, USA), 1:06.95 (18 July 1999; Los Angeles, USA), 1:06.52 (23 August 1999; Sydney, AUS); 200 m breaststroke – 17 July 1999 - 10 July 2004: 2:24.69 (17 July 1999; Los Angeles, USA), 2:24.51 (17 July 1999; Los Angeles, USA), 2:24.42 (26 August 1999; Sydney, AUS), 2:23.64 (27 August 1999; Sydney, AUS))
- Listed in Olympians Who Set a World Record in Short Course Swimming (50 m breaststroke – 26 September 1999 - 3 December 2001: 30.60 (26 September 1999; Durban, RSA); 100 m breaststroke – 4 September 1999 - 6 April 2002: 1:05.57 (4 September 1999; Johannesburg, RSA), 1:05.40 (26 September 1999; Durban, RSA))
- Listed in Olympians Who Won a Medal at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships (3–2–0 1995 Atlanta gold: 100 m breaststroke, silver: 200 m breaststroke; 1997 Fukuoka silver: 100 m breaststroke; 1999 Sydney gold: 100 m breaststroke and 200 m breaststroke)
- Listed in Olympians Who Won a Medal at the World Short-Course Swimming Championships (25 m) (0–3–0 1999 Hong Kong silver: 50 m breaststroke, 100 m breaststroke, and 200 m breaststroke)
- Listed in Olympic Swimmers - Doubles Champions, Same Year (1996 100/200 Breaststroke Champion.)
- Listed in Olympians Who Won a Medal at the British Empire/Commonwealth Games (0–0–1 1994 Victoria SWI bronze: 100 m breaststroke)