Chantal Zita Gibney (born 28 December 1980) is an Irish former competitive swimmer who specialised in sprint and middle-distance freestyle events.[1] Gibney became a semi-finalist in the 200-metre freestyle at the European Championships, and later represented Ireland, as a 19-year-old, at the 2000 Summer Olympics. She also holds numerous Irish records, long or short course, in a middle-distance freestyle double (200 and 400 m), and fifteen All-American honours, while attending the University of Florida.[2]
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Chantal Zita Gibney |
| National team |  Ireland |
| Born | 28 December 1980 Dublin, Ireland |
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) |
| Weight | 70 kg (150 lb) |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Swimming |
| Strokes | Freestyle |
| Club | Blue Wave Swim Team (U.S.) |
| College team | University of Florida (US) |
| Coach | Gregg Troy (U.S.) Peter Banks (U.S.) |
Career edit
Early years edit
Gibney, a native of Dublin, Ireland, started her sporting career at the age of six with the Trojan Swim Club. In early 2000, she left her native country Ireland for the United States to train full-time for the Blue Wave Swim Team in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, coached by Peter Banks.[3]
Gibney accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where she competed for coach Gregg Troy as a member of the Florida Gators swimming and diving team from 2000 to 2004.[4] While swimming for the Gators, she posted career bests in the 50-yard freestyle (22.58), 100-yard freestyle (49.83), 200-yard freestyle (1:46.32), and 500-yard freestyle (4:57.81) from the 2002 Southeastern Conference Championships, and received a total of fifteen All-American honours in her entire college career.[5][6] Gibney also helped the Gators pull off a second-place effort in the 200-yard freestyle relay (1:30.18) at the SEC Championships, and fifth in the 400-yard medley relay (3:35.87) at the 2003 NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving Championships.[7][8]
International career edit
Gibney competed in four individual events, as a member of an Irish squad, at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. After finishing tenth from the European Championships in Helsinki, Finland, her entry time of 2:02.83 (200 m freestyle) was officially accredited under a FINA A-standard.[9][10] On the second day of the Games, Gibney placed thirty-fourth in the 400 m freestyle. Swimming in heat one, she enjoyed the race with an early lead in the first 150 metres, but faded down the stretch to a fourth seed in 4:23.73.[11][12] The following day, in the 200 m freestyle, Gibney produced her best result with a twenty-eighth-place effort in 2:05.24.[13][14][15] Two days later, in the 100-metre freestyle, Gibney placed forty-second on the morning prelims. Swimming in heat three, she fell short on the final lap to a seventh spot in 58.79, a 2.1-second deficit from leader Olga Mukomol of Ukraine.[16][17] In her fourth event, 50-metre freestyle, Gibney posted a time of 27.46 from heat five, sufficiently enough for forty-eighth seed in the prelims.[18][19]
At the 2001 FINA World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, Gibney failed to reach the top 16 roster in any of her individual events, finishing forty-fourth in the 50-metre freestyle (27.13), thirty-sixth in the 100-metre freestyle (57.65), and thirty-third in the 200-metre freestyle (2:04.38).[20][21][22]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Chantal Gibney". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
- ^ Lord, Craig (20 July 1999). "Ireland Wipes Out Michelle Smith DeBruin's Records". Swimming World Magazine. Archived from the original on 16 June 2013. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
- ^ "The Big Swim". Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 29 August 2010. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
- ^ "2006 Florida Gators Swimming & Diving Media Guide – Gator Olympians" (PDF). Florida Gators. University of Florida. pp. 6–8. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 May 2012. Retrieved 5 May 2013.
- ^ "2006 Florida Gators Swimming & Diving Media Guide – Gator All-Americans" (PDF). Florida Gators. University of Florida. p. 90. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 March 2012. Retrieved 5 May 2013.
- ^ "2006 Florida Gators Swimming & Diving Media Guide – All-Time Top-10 Gator Performers (SCY)" (PDF). Florida Gators. University of Florida. pp. 111–112. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 March 2012. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
- ^ "NCAA Div. I: Florida Holds Narrow Leads in Both the Men's and Women's Team Races After Day Two of SECs". Swimming World Magazine. 22 February 2002. Archived from the original on 16 June 2013. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
- ^ "W. Swim & Dive in Seventh After Day 1 of NCAA's". Florida Gators. 20 March 2003. Archived from the original on 11 August 2014. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
- ^ "Swimming – Women's 200m Freestyle Startlist (Heat 3)". Sydney 2000. Omega Timing. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
- ^ "2000 LEN European Aquatics Championships (Helsinki, Finland) – Women's 200m Freestyle Heats". Omega Timing. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
- ^ "Sydney 2000: Swimming – Women's 400m Freestyle Heat 1" (PDF). Sydney 2000. LA84 Foundation. p. 189. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 August 2011. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
- ^ "Dolan breaks own world mark in 400 IM". Canoe.ca. 17 September 2000. Archived from the original on 16 June 2013. Retrieved 28 May 2013.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "Sydney 2000: Swimming – Women's 200m Freestyle Heat 3" (PDF). Sydney 2000. LA84 Foundation. p. 183. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 August 2011. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
- ^ "Malchow sets Olympic record in 200 fly". Canoe.ca. 18 September 2000. Archived from the original on 15 June 2013. Retrieved 28 May 2013.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "Irish struggle in Sydney". BBC Sport. 18 September 2000. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
- ^ "Sydney 2000: Swimming – Women's 100m Freestyle Heat 3" (PDF). Sydney 2000. LA84 Foundation. p. 175. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 August 2011. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
- ^ "Results from the Summer Olympics – Swimming (Women's 100m Freestyle)". Canoe.ca. Archived from the original on 16 June 2013. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "Sydney 2000: Swimming – Women's 50m Freestyle Heat 5" (PDF). Sydney 2000. LA84 Foundation. p. 165. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 August 2011. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
- ^ "Results from the Summer Olympics – Swimming (Women's 50m Freestyle)". Canoe.ca. Archived from the original on 15 June 2013. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "2001 FINA World Championships (Fukuoka, Japan): Women's 50m Freestyle". Swim Rankings. Archived from the original on 16 June 2013. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
- ^ "2001 FINA World Championships (Fukuoka, Japan): Women's 100m Freestyle". Swim Rankings. Archived from the original on 16 June 2013. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
- ^ "2001 FINA World Championships (Fukuoka, Japan): Women's 200m Freestyle". Swim Rankings. Archived from the original on 13 April 2015. Retrieved 14 June 2013.