Wan Azlan

Wan Azlan bin Wan Ali Abdullah (professionally known as Wan Azlan Abdullah; born 5 June 1975) is a retired Malaysian swimmer, who specialised in freestyle and in individual medley events.[1] He is a two-time Olympian (1996 and 2000), and a gold medalist at the Southeast Asian Games (1997). While studying in the United States, Abdullah trained for the Pine Crest Swim Club in Fort Lauderdale, Florida under his full-time coach David López-Zubero, a bronze medalist for Spain at the 1980 Summer Olympics.[2] During his college career, Abdullah swam for the University of Georgia's Georgia Bulldogs swimming and diving team under head coach Jack Bauerle.[3]

In this Malay name, there is no family name. The name Wan Ali Abdullah is a patronymic, and the person should be referred to by the given name, Azlan. The Arabic-derived word "bin" or "binti"/"binte", if used, means 'son of' or 'daughter of', respectively.
Wan Azlan
Personal information
Birth nameWan Azlan bin Wan Ali Abdullah
National team Malaysia
Born (1975-06-05) 5 June 1975
Height1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Weight77 kg (170 lb)
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesFreestyle, medley
ClubPine Crest Swim Club (U.S.)
College teamUniversity of Georgia (U.S.)
CoachDavid López-Zubero (U.S.)
Medal record
Men's swimming
Representing Malaysia
Southeast Asian Games
Gold medal – first place 1997 Jakarta 200 m medley
Gold medal – first place 1997 Jakarta 400 m medley
Bronze medal – third place 1995 Chiang Mai 400 m medley

Abdullah made his first Malaysian team at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. There, he failed to reach the top 16 final in any of his individual events, finishing thirty-sixth in the 200 m individual medley (2:12.11), and twenty-seventh in the 400 m individual medley (4:38.95, a slowest prelims time).[4][5] He also placed twentieth, along with his Malaysian teammates Alex Lim, Elvin Chia, and Anthony Ang, in the 4×100 m medley relay (3:56.24).[6]

The following year, at the 1997 Southeast Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, Abdullah won two gold medals each in the 200 m individual medley (2:07.80), and in the 400 m individual medley (4:32.75).[7][8]

Abdullah swam only in the men's 400 m individual medley at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. He achieved a FINA B-cut of 4:34.50 from the Asian Swimming Championships in Busan, South Korea.[9] He challenged seven other swimmers in heat two, including 1996 Olympic silver medalist Jani Sievinen of Finland, and 16-year-old George Bovell of Trinidad and Tobago. Abdullah posted a time of 4:36.90 to save a seventh spot over Croatia's Sandro Tomaš by a 1.4-second advantage. Abdullah failed to reach the top 8 final, as he placed forty-first overall in the prelims.[10][11][12]

References
  1. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Wan Azlan Abdullah". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
  2. Megan, M.K (5 February 1993). "Wan Azlan caught in a dilemma". New Straits Times. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
  3. Murphy, Bill (15 September 2000). "After years of practice, swimmers' dreams come true". The Red and Black. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
  4. "Atlanta 1996: Aquatics (Swimming) – Men's 200m Individual Medley Heat 1" (PDF). Atlanta 1996. LA84 Foundation. p. 48. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 May 2011. Retrieved 28 April 2013.
  5. "Atlanta 1996: Aquatics (Swimming) – Men's 400m Individual Medley Heat 1" (PDF). Atlanta 1996. LA84 Foundation. p. 50. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 May 2011. Retrieved 28 April 2013.
  6. "Atlanta 1996: Aquatics (Swimming) – Men's 4×100m Medley Relay Heat 1" (PDF). Atlanta 1996. LA84 Foundation. p. 52. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 May 2011. Retrieved 28 April 2013.
  7. "Ian misses out on final but breaks 13-year-old national record". The Star (Malaysia). 9 October 2010. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
  8. "OCM/NSC should monitor US-based swimmers". Utusan Malaysia. 23 September 2000. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
  9. "Swimming – Men's 400m Individual Medley Startlist (Heat 2)" (PDF). Sydney 2000. Omega Timing. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
  10. "Sydney 2000: Swimming – Men's 400m Individual Medley Heat 2" (PDF). Sydney 2000. LA84 Foundation. p. 316. Retrieved 26 March 2013.
  11. "Dolan breaks own world mark in 400 IM". Canoe.ca. 17 September 2000. Retrieved 28 May 2013.
  12. "Allen Ong rewrites 200m freestyle national record". Utusan Malaysia. 17 September 2000. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
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