Van den Hoogenband elected ‘European Swimmer of the Year 2004’

Pieter van den Hoogenband has been elected 'European Swimmer of the Year 2004' by the American sports magazine Swimming World. It’s the fourth time VDH has won this title. In Europe he was the only male Olympic Champion of 2004. He’s also the only Dutch male athlete to make this list in the last 25 years. If he wins this title one more time, he and Michael Gross (German swimmer of the mid eighties) will be the only ones who won the title five times.

This is the list of ‘European Swimmers of the Year’ of the last 25 years:

2004 Pieter van den Hoogenband, The Netherlands
2003 Alexander Popov, Russia
2002 Pieter van den Hoogenband, The Netherlands
2001 Roman Sloudnov, Russia
2000 Pieter van den Hoogenband, The Netherlands
1999 Pieter van den Hoogenband, The Netherlands
1998 Denis Silantiev, Ukraine
1997 Emiliano Brembilla, Italy
1996 Denis Pankratov, Russia
1995 Denis Pankratov, Russia
1994 Alexander Popov, Russia
1993 Karoly Güttler, Hungary
1992 Evgheny Sadovyi, Russia
1991 Tamas Darnyi, Hungary
1990 Adrian Moorhouse, Great Britain
1989 Giorgio Lamberti, Italy
1988 Tamas Darnyi, Hungary
1987 Tamas Darnyi, Hungary
1986 Michael Gross, West Germany
1985 Michael Gross, West Germany
1984 Michael Gross, West Germany
1983 Michael Gross, West Germany
1982 Michael Gross, West Germany
1981 Sandor Wladar, Hungary
1980 Vladimir Salnikov, Sovjet Union



Source: www.pietervandenhoogenband.nl