Peter Vanderkaay

Infobox Swimmer
swimmername = Peter Vanderkaay


imagesize =
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fullname = Peter Vanderkaay
nicknames =
nationality = USA
strokes =
club = Club Wolverine,
University of Michigan
collegeteam =
birthdate =birth date and age|mf=yes|1984|02|12
birthplace =Royal Oak, Michigan, United States
deathdate =
deathplace =
height = height|m=1.93
weight =
medaltemplates =

Peter Vanderkaay (born February 12, 1984) is an American freestyle swimmer. He and teammates Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte, and Klete Keller won the gold medal in the 4x200m Freestyle relay at the 2004 Summer Olympics and set the world record in the event at the 2007 World Championships in Melbourne. Vanderkaay is a two time Olympic qualifier in 2004 and 2008.

Personal life

Vanderkaay is originally from Rochester Hills, Michigan and attended Rochester Adams High School. He has three brothers, all of whom are competitive swimmers. His older brother Christian Vanderkaay swam for the University of Michigan and qualified for the 100m breaststroke at the 2008 Olympic trials. His younger brother Alex Vanderkaay qualified for the 2008 Olympic trials in the 400m individual medley, 400m freestyle and the 200m butterfly. His third and youngest brother, Dane Vanderkaay, also qualified for the 2008 US Olympic trials in the 400m freestyle.

Career

High school and collegiate career

Peter Vanderkaay is a two-time Michigan High School State Champion in the 500-yard freestyle (2001, 2002), and is the 2001 state champion in the 200-yard freestyle. He graduated in the class of 2002, and swam for the The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Vanderkaay holds a total of six NCAA titles and 14 Big Ten Conference titles. He also won a silver and two bronze medals representing the US at the 2003 World University Games. In his freshman year in college, he was Big Ten Champion in the 500-yard freestyle and the 800-yard freestyle relay. He also was NCAA All-American in the 500 and the mile.

By the end of his sophomore year, he won four more Big Ten titles in the 400-yard IM, 500-yard freestyle, 1,650 freestyle and 800-yard freestyle relay. Vanderkaay also was the NCAA Champion in the 400scm free, the 1500scm free and the 800scm free relay, and placed fifth in the 200m free.

In his junior year, Vanderkaay repeated his four Big Ten victories, and was named Big Ten Swimmer of the Year. He was named All-American in the 200-yard freestyle, 500-yard freestyle, 1,650-yard freestyle, 800-yard freestyle relay, 400-yard medley relay.

In his senior year at Michigan, he was the senior co-captain for the Michigan Wolverines. He won four more Big Ten titles, 200-yard freestyle, 500-yard freestyle, 1650-yard freestyle and 800-yard freestyle relay, and one final NCAA title in the 500. Vanderkaay also placed second in both the 200 and 1650 yard freestyles at the NCAA meet.

During his senior year at Michigan, Vanderkaay was elected to the senior society known as Michigamua for the leadership he demonstrated as a captain of his team and throughout campus.

International career

At the 2004 Summer Olympics, Vanderkaay was a member of the 4x200m freestyle relay team of Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte, and Klete Keller, that beat the favored Australian team of Ian Thorpe, Grant Hackett, Michael Klim, and Nicholas Sprenger. The same American relay would go on to set an American Record in the same event at the FINA 2005 World Aquatics Championships in Montreal, Canada.

At the 2007 FINA World Championships in Melbourne, Vanderkaay again swam in the relay with Lochte, Phelps, Keller. They set a World Record in the 4x200m Freestyle Relay, beating the second place Australian team by over 10 seconds. The foursome remains unbeaten in international competition for four years.

In the summer of 2007, he posted a career performance at U.S. Nationals, beating Michael Phelps for first place in the 400m freestyle, and he teamed up with Phelps, Davis Tarwater, Scott Spann, and Chris DeJong to win two more golds, one in the 4x100m freestyle relay and another in the 4x100m medley relay.

Vanderkaay won the bronze medal in the 200m freestyle at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the gold medal in the 4x200m freestyle relay. He also swam the 400m and 1500m freestyle events, but finished out of the medals.

Records held

Vanderkaay is the current Olympic, World, and American record holder in the 4x200m freestyle relay, along with Ricky Berens, Phelps, and Lochte.

Vanderkaay also holds the current US Open Record in the 1500m freestyle.

Vanderkaay is also the former American Record holder in the 400m freestyle.Vanderkaay is the current Michigan High School State and NCAA Record holder in the 500-yard freestyle (set in 2002 and 2006 respectively).

References

External links

* [http://www.petervanderkaay.com/ Peter Vanderkaay's unofficial website]
* [http://www.usolympicteam.com/26_21755.htm Peter's U.S. Olympic Team bio]