Johan Kenkhuis

Johan Kenkhuis (born 7 May 1980 in Vriezenveen, Overijssel) is an Olympic medal winning Dutch swimmer.

Johan Kenkhuis
Johan Kenkhuis at the 2010 European Short Course Swimming Championships in Eindhoven.
Personal information
Full nameJohan Kenkhuis
Nationality Netherlands
Born (1980-05-07) 7 May 1980
Vriezenveen, Overijssel, Netherlands
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesFreestyle
Medal record
Men's swimming
Representing the  Netherlands
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Olympic Games 0 1 1
World Championships (LC) 0 1 0
World Championships (SC) 1 1 0
European Championships (LC) 1 0 0
European Championships (SC) 4 1 3
Total 6 4 4
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 2004 Athens 4×100 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 2000 Sydney 4×200 m freestyle
World Championships (LC)
Silver medal – second place 2001 Fukuoka 4×100 m freestyle
World Championships (SC)
Gold medal – first place 1999 Hong Kong 4×200 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 1999 Hong Kong 4×100 m freestyle
European Championships (LC)
Gold medal – first place 1999 Istanbul 4×100 m freestyle
European Championships (SC)
Gold medal – first place 1998 Sheffield 4×50 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2002 Riesa 4×50 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2003 Dublin 4×50 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2005 Trieste 4×50 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 2001 Antwerp 4×50 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 2002 Riesa 100 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 2005 Trieste 50 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 2006 Helsinki 4×50 m freestyle

From a young age, Kenkhuis had a strong interest in swimming. In 1998, he won gold medals in both the 100 meter and 200 meter freestyle events in the European Junior Championships. At the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, Johan was a member of the bronze medal 4×200 meter freestyle relay team. He also helped the Netherlands win a silver medal at the FINA World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan in 2001 as a member of the 4×100 meter freestyle relay team.

However, by 2002, he was growing tired of the sport and close to retirement. His coach, Fedor Hes, helped him develop a different training strategy which involved spending more time on dry land. Seemingly invigorated by the new training style, Johan quickly progressed enough to win fourth place at the 50 meter freestyle event in the World Championships in Barcelona, Spain. He finished only 0.01 seconds behind the bronze medalist.

In the 2004 Olympic Games, Johan was a member of the Dutch Olympic swim team.[1] As the starting swimmer in the 4×100 meter freestyle relay, alongside Pieter van den Hoogenband, Mitja Zastrow, and Klaas-Erik Zwering he played a critical role in securing a silver medal in the event.

Kenkhuis is currently living in Amsterdam where he is a member of De Dolfijn SPAX swim club but trains with XLence Swimteam. He is a Business and Marketing major at the Johan Cruyff University in Amsterdam.

Kenkhuis was one of only eleven openly gay athletes to participate in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.[2][3] In November 2006 he announced that he would quit swimming on the highest level after the 2006 European Championships Short Course in Helsinki, Finland.

See also

References
  1. "Johan Kenkhuis". Olympics. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  2. Caldwell, John (7 December 2004). "Out and silver in Holland". The Advocate. Retrieved 31 October 2007.
  3. "The fast lane: Dutch Olympic swimmer Johan Kenkhuis". Pride Source. 31 October 2017. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
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