Magdalena Johanna Maria ("Marleen") Veldhuis (born
June 29, 1979) is a professional swimmer from the
Netherlands. She is a former world record holder of
the 50 metres freestyle (long course) in a time of
24.09 seconds, and she shares in the current 4x100
metres relay freestyle world record, both achieved
during the European LC Championships 2008 in
Eindhoven. She also holds the world record 50 metres
freestyle (short course) in 23.58 seconds, since
November 17, 2007. Previously she had won the 50
metres freestyle (short course) at the 2004 World
Championship, and the 4x100 metres freestyle with
the Dutch team at the 2006 World Championship.
Veldhuis was born on June 29, 1979 in Borne in the
Netherlands. She was brought up in the eastern part
of the Netherlands.
Marleen Veldhuis is a former waterpolo player.
She won the gold medal in the 50 freestyle at the
2004 FINA Short Course World Championships in
Indianapolis by beating Libby Lenton from Australia
and Therese Alshammar from Sweden. At the 2004
Summer Olympics Veldhuis won the bronze medal in the
4x100 freestyle, together with Inge de Bruijn, Inge
Dekker and Chantal Groot. She is also successful in
the short course metres competition, thriving at
World Cup circuit meets. 50 Freestyle best: 24.07.
Alongside Chantal Groot, Hinkelien Schreuder and
Inge Dekker, Veldhuis set a world record and won a
gold medal in the 4x100 m freestyle relay at the
2006 FINA Short Course World Championships.
At the Berlin leg of the 2007 FINA Arena World Cup
series, Veldhuis broke Swede Therese Alshammar's 50
m freestyle world record. Alshammar's world record
stood at 23.59 since March 2000. The new standard is
23.58 seconds.
At the European LC Championships 2008 in Eindhoven,
she broke the 50 metres freestyle world record which
had been held since 2000 by the since retired Inge
de Bruijn. She also broke the 4x100 m Freestyle
relay world record, together with Inge Dekker,
Ranomi Kromowidjojo and Femke Heemskerk. The new
standard is 3:33.62.
