Steve Parry (swimmer)

Stephen Benjamin Parry MBE (born 2 March 1977) is an English former competitive swimmer who represented Great Britain in the Olympics, FINA world championships and European championships, and England in the Commonwealth Games. He competed internationally in 100-metre and 200-metre butterfly events.

For other people named Stephen Parry, see Stephen Parry (disambiguation).

Steve Parry
MBE
Medal record
Men's swimming
Representing  Great Britain
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place2004 Athens200 m butterfly
European Championships (LC)
Bronze medal – third place 1997 Seville 200 m butterfly
European Championships (SC)
Gold medal – first place 2002 Riesa 200 m butterfly
Silver medal – second place 2002 Riesa 200 m backstroke
Silver medal – second place 2003 Dublin 200 m butterfly
Bronze medal – third place 2000 Valencia 200 m butterfly
Bronze medal – third place 2000 Valencia 4×50 m freestyle
Commonwealth Games
Representing  England
Silver medal – second place 2002 Manchester 200 m butterfly
Bronze medal – third place 1998 Kuala Lumpur 200 m butterfly
Bronze medal – third place2002 Manchester4×200 m freestyle

Career

After joining Stockport Metro, he set a Commonwealth record at the 2000 US Nationals in Seattle, beating, among others, a very young Michael Phelps. Later that year, he qualified for his first Olympic Games in Sydney.

Four years later, in Athens, Greece, Parry won Britain's first Olympic swimming medal in eight years at the Athens Summer Olympics in 200-metres butterfly, being beaten by Michael Phelps and Takashi Yamamoto. Phelps had beaten him into 4th place at Sydney four years earlier. Parry retired from competitive swimming in 2005.

He represented England and won a bronze medal in the 200 metres butterfly event, at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.[1][2] Four years later he won a silver and bronze medal in the butterfly and relay events at the 2002 Commonwealth Games.[3]

At the ASA National British Championships he won the 100 metres butterfly title in 1997[4] and was an eight-time winner of the 200 metres butterfly title in 1995, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004.[5][6][7][8]

After retiring, Parry joined up with former training partner Adrian Turner and Rebecca Adlington to establish Total Swimming, a swimming training program and facilities for young people.[9] In June 2022, JD Sports announced they had purchased 60% of Total swimming group, after the group had made £8.6 million at the end of the 2021 fiscal year. JD purchased the stock with an initial cash consideration of £11.1 million with a maximum of £4 million.[10]

He briefly hosted his own Sunday afternoon programme on BBC Radio Merseyside before joining BBC Sport as part of their team covering the swimming at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Personal life

Parry was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2009, days after marrying his wife Thea. The affected testicle was removed before the cancer spread, and in early 2012 he became a father.[11]

Parry was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2022 New Year Honours for services to swimming.[12]

Personal bests and records
Event Long course Short course
200 m freestyle 1.50.92 1.48.39
100 m backstroke 53.15
200 m backstroke 1.54.11
100 m butterfly 53.80 52.53
200 m butterfly 1:55.52 NR 1.52.91
Key NR:British

See also

References
  1. "1998 Athletes". Team England.
  2. "England team in 1998". Commonwealth Games Federation.
  3. "Athletes and results". Commonwealth Games Federation.
  4. ""For the Record." Times, 18 July 1997, p. 42". The Times. 18 July 1997. p. 42.
  5. ""For the Record." Times, 24 July 1995, p. 28". The Times. 24 July 1995. p. 28.
  6. ""For the Record." Times, 15 July 1996, p. 38". The Times. 15 July 1996. p. 38.
  7. ""For the Record." Times, 21 July 1997, p. 40". The Times. 21 July 1997. p. 40.
  8. ""For the record." Times, 29 July 2000, p. ^". The Times. 29 July 2000.
  9. "We teach an all-important life skill through innovative and enjoyable classes that combine learning with fun". Total Swimming. 10 January 2020. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  10. Georgia Wright (22 June 2022). "JD Sports acquires 60% stake in Rebecca Adlington's Total Swimming Group". Retail Gazette. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  11. "Olympic swimming star: I feared I'd never be a dad after testicular cancer". Daily Mirror. 22 March 2012. Retrieved 2 July 2022.
  12. "No. 63571". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 January 2022. p. N23.
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