Sascha Kindred

Infobox Swimmer
swimmername = Sascha Kindred


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fullname = Sascha Kindred
nationality = British
strokes =
club = Leominster Kingfishercite web |url=http://www.britishswimming.org/vsite/vcontent/page/custom/0,8510,5157-182881-200099-42948-270203-custom-item,00.html |title=British Swimming and the asa: Sascha Kindred |accessdate=2008-09-17 |publisher=British Swimming]
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birthdate = birth date and age|1977|12|13|df=yes
birthplace = Münster, Germany
deathdate =
deathplace =
height = height|m=1.88
weight =
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Sascha Kindred (born December 13 1977 in Münster, Germany) [cite web |title=Athlete Biography |publisher=The Official Website of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games |url=http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRMP/ENG/BIO/Athlete/8/1206748.shtml |accessdate=2008-09-16] is a British swimmer who has competed in the Paralympic Games on four occasions, winning eleven medals.

Early life

Born in Germany to a german mother, he moved to Britain at the age of 3. He began swimming for a club at the age of 11. He attended Mossley Hollins High School for a short period of time before going into training at local swimming clubs such as Oldham.cite web |title=Q&A: Sascha Kindred |publisher= [http://www.disabilitynow.org.uk/ Disability Now magazine] |url=http://www.disabilitynow.org.uk/living/sport/q-a-sascha-kindred |accessdate=2008-09-16] Kindred has cerebral palsy which effects the right side of his bodycite web |title=Interview with Sascha Kindred |publisher= [http://www.totalswimming.co.uk/ Total Swimming] |url=http://www.totalswimming.co.uk/interview-with-sascha-kindred.html |accessdate=2008-09-16] , he therefore competes in the S6 (butterfly), SM6 (medley) and SB7 (breaststroke) classifications.cite web |title=Athlete Biography |publisher=University of Bath website |url=http://www.teambath.com/?p=2665 |accessdate=2008-09-16] [cite web |title=A-Z of Paralympic classification |publisher=BBCSport |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/disability_sport/7586684.stm |accessdate=2008-09-16]

Paralympic career

Kindred first competed at the Paralympic Games in Atlanta 1996, winning a silver medal in the 100 m breaststroke SB7.cite web |title=Medal record |publisher=Website of the International Paralympic Committee |url=http://www.paralympic.org/release/Main_Sections_Menu/Sports/Results/paralympics_search.html?sport=all&games=all&medal=all&npc=all&name=kindred&fname=sascha&gender=m |accessdate=2008-09-16]

At the the 2000 games in Sydney Kindred won 2 gold, a silver and a bronze medal, and describes the games as his biggest sporting achievement so far.

In the 2004 Athens Paralympics Kindred won two further gold medals, succesfully defending the 100 m breaststroke SB7 and 200 m individual medley SM6 titles he had won in Sydney, as well as a bronze medal in the 4×50 m freestyle 20 pts.

His fifth Paralympic gold came in the 200 m individual medley SM6 at the 2008 Games in Beijing, where he set a new world record time of 2:49.19 on the way to his third successive title in the event. [cite web |title=Kindred claims fifth gold in pool |publisher=BBC Sport |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/disability_sport/7602935.stm |accessdate=2008-09-16] He followed this with a second gold of the games, and sixth overall, with another world record of 1:22.18, in the 100 m breaststroke SB7. [cite web |title=Kindred clinches second pool gold |publisher=BBC Sport |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/disability_sport/7605877.stm |accessdate=2008-09-16] A third medal of the Games, this time a bronze, came in the 50 m butterfly S6. [cite web |title=Official results of men's 50m butterfly - S6 |publisher=The Official Website of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games |url=http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRMP/ENG/INF/SW/C73A1/SWM206101.pdf |accessdate=2008-09-16]

In addition to his success in the Paralympics, Kindred has won 12 medals (5 gold, 3 silver, 4 bronze) at IPC World Championships, 15 medals (8 gold, 3 silver, 4 bronze) at European Championships and a gold medal at the 2006 Paralympic World Cup in Manchester.

Personal life

Kindred's girlfriend is fellow British Paralympic gold medal winning swimmer Nyree Lewis. Together the pair are known as the "golden couple" of British disability swimming. [cite web |title=Paralympic challengers: Sascha Kindred and Nyree Lewis |publisher=BBC Sport |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/disability_sport/7589623.stm |accessdate=2008-09-16] [cite web |title=Kindred joining Lewis in glory bid |publisher=Worcester News |url=http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/sport/3650707.Kindred_joining_Lewis_in_glory_bid/ |accessdate=2008-09-16]

He includes amongst his sporting heroes Eric Cantona, Michael Johnson and Carl Lewis, and is a supporter of Manchester United.

ee also

*Great Britain at the 2008 Summer Paralympics
*List of Paralympic records in swimming
*Swimming at the 2008 Summer Paralympics
*Swimming at the 2004 Summer Paralympics
*Swimming at the 2000 Summer Paralympics
*Swimming at the 1996 Summer Paralympics

References

External links

* [http://goldencouple.blogspot.com/ 'The Golden Couple'] — A blog written by Kindred's brother detailing the progress of him and Nyree Lewis
* [http://www.saschakindred.co.uk/ Personal website]
* [http://www.britishswimming.org/vsite/vcontent/page/custom/0,8510,5157-182881-200099-42948-270203-custom-item,00.html British Swimming athlete profile]