Joanne Malar

Joanne Malar (born October 30, 1975 in Hamilton, Ontario) is a former medley swimmer from Canada, who competed in three consecutive Summer Olympics, starting in 1992.

Early life

Swimming was important to her and her family, because her family camped often. She has two sisters and a brother, and speaks French. She attended McMaster University and St. Thomas More Catholic Secondary School.

Malar’s first pool experience was when she was five weeks old. She started racing at five. At ten, she set her first provincial record. Two years later, Malar went to her first national swim meet, this was the 1988 Olympic Trials. Besides being a talented swimmer, she was a gifted basketball player. In grade nine, she chose swimming over basketball as her preferred sport.

wimming career

When Malar began her swimming career, she impressed many people with her unexpected success early on. At the 1991 Pan American Games, she won two silvers and a bronze. At the 1994 LC World Championships, she came in fourth for the 400m Individual Medley. In 1995, she won four golds and a bronze.

In 1995, at the 1995 FINA Short Course World Championships, she won two gold medals. That same year at the 1995 Pan American Games, she won a bronze and two gold medals, having developed a new swimming style.

There were high expectations for Malar to medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. Due to her potential and good looks, she appeared on the box for Kellogg's Special K (in a black bathing suit) and a television ad for Salon Selectives Shampoo conditioner. In the 400m Medley, considered her strongest event, she failed to make the finals. In the 200m Medley, Malar finished fourth just narrowly missing the podium, while Canadian teammate Marianne Limpert took the silver. Ireland's Michelle Smith surprisingly won that race, ending up with three gold medals from the Atlanta Games. In 1998, Smith later received a four-year suspension in 1998 after being found guilty of tampering with a urine sample, but she retained her Olympic medals; had Smith been disqualified Malar would have moved up to bronze and Limpert the Gold.

In 1999, at the 1999 FINA Short Course World Championships, Malar achieved silver and bronze. At the 1999 Pan American Games and 1999 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, she won two gold medals each time.

At the 2000 Summer Olympics, Malar finished fifth in the 200 Medley, with Limpert fourth. Malar also finished 7th in the 400m Medley. [http://www.canoe.ca/2000GamesMalar/malar_00sep19.html] Malar was sponsored by Sears Canada around these Games. The Sydney Olympics was a subpar performance for Swimming Canada, leading to heavy criticism of head coach Dave Johnson, as only medal was Curtis Myden's bronze.

Malar won a bronze at the 2002 Commonwealth Games.

Three years later in May 2003, Malar revealed that she was coming out of retirement, a big surprise to many. At the 2003 Pan American Games she won one gold and came in fourth twice. Malar failed to qualify for the 2004 Olympics after finished fourth in the 400m Medley. [ [http://www.ats.ca/rta/joanne.html] ]

She concluded her swimming career, having amassed 71 international medals, 30 national titles, and 4 records

Retirement

Malar was a news reporter in her hometown of Hamilton for CH TV 11 and is also a Holistic Nutritionalist (RHN) for La Sante Life at the Regent Health Centre on 150 Locke street in Hamilton. She currently lives in Calgary with her husband, Delano Ducheck, and son Desmond.

ee also

*Pan American Games records in swimming

References

* [http://72.232.38.190/EN/athletes/query/details2.php?id=38222 Canadian Olympic Committee]
* [http://www.joannemalar.com/ Official website]
* [http://www.canoe.ca/2000GamesGallery/swimming2.html 2000 Sydney Olympics]