Gemma Spofforth: Difference between revisions

| image = Gemma Spofforth (7470703272).jpg<!-- Only free-content images are allowed for depicting living people -- see [[WP:NONFREE]]. -->

| collegeteam = [[Florida Gators swimming and diving|University of Florida]] (U.S.US)

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=y|1987|11|17|df=y}}

| birth_place = [[Shoreham-by-Sea]], [[England]], [[United Kingdom]]

{{MedalSport | Women's [[swimming (sport)|swimming]]}}

{{MedalCountry | Great Britain {{GBR2}}}}

{{MedalCompetition | [[FINA World Aquatics Championships|World Championships -– Long Course]]}}

{{MedalCompetition | [[LEN European Aquatics Championships|European Championships -– Long Course]]}}

{{MedalCompetition | [[European Short Course Swimming Championships|European Championships -– Short Course]]}}

{{MedalCompetition | [[Commonwealth Games]]}}

'''Gemma Mary Spofforth''' (born 17 November 1987) is aan BritishEnglish former competition [[swimming (sport)|swimmer]] who represented Great Britain in the Olympics, FINA world championships and European championships, and England in the Commonwealth Games. Spofforth is athe former world record-holder and former world champion in the 100-metre [[backstroke]]., and won a total of eight medals in major international championships.

Spofforth was born in [[Shoreham-by-Sea]], [[England]].<ref name=bsprofile>British Swimming, Profile, [http://www.swimming.org/britishswimming/swimming/womens-profiles/gemma-spofforth/223/ Gemma Spofforth]. Retrieved 6 June 2011.</ref> She had [[pancreatitis]] in 2005, taking a year in and out of the water undecided on plans to continue swimming. This was a turning point in her career as she finished up at Portsmouth High School. Her decision on where to attend university rested on whether she would continue swimming.

Spofforth represented [[Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics|2008 Summer Olympics]] in Beijing, China, coming fourth in the 100-metre backstroke, four one-hundredths of a second (0.04) behind bronze medalist [[Margaret Hoelzer]].<ref>London 2012, Team GB, [https://web.archive.org/web/20120613034531/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/Team-GB/competitors/8662526/Gemma-Spofforth-Team-GB-London-2012-Olympics.html Gemma Spofforth], ''The Daily Telegraph''. Retrieved 11 July 2012.</ref> She also came ninth in the 200-metre backstroke.

At the 2009 World Aquatic Championships in Rome, she took the gold medal in the 100-metre backstroke, in a world record time of 58.12 seconds.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.omegatiming.com/swimming/racearchives/2009/Roma2009/C73A1_Res1Heat_109_Finals_1_Women_100_Back.pdf|title=13th FINA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS -– Women's 100m Backstroke Result |date=28 July 2009-07-28|work=Omega Timing|accessdateaccess-date=29 July 2009|url-07status=dead|archive-29url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120421142219/http://www.omegatiming.com/swimming/racearchives/2009/Roma2009/C73A1_Res1Heat_109_Finals_1_Women_100_Back.pdf|archive-date=21 April 2012}}</ref> Spofforth broke the 100-metre Backstroke world record on her way to winning her first world title in Rome, her time of 58.12 erased previous record holder [[Anastasia Valeryevna Zuyeva|Anastasia Zuyeva]] time of 58.48 set in the semi -finals of the event.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/swimming/8173354.stm|title=Spofforth sets record to win gold |date=2009-07-28 July 2009|workpublisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=2009-07access-date=28 July 2009}}</ref>

Spofforth accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the [[University of Florida]] in Gainesville, Florida, where she swam for coach [[Gregg Troy]]'s [[Florida Gators swimming and diving]] team in [[National Collegiate Athletics Association]] (NCAA) and [[Southeastern Conference]] (SEC) competition from 2007 to 2010. SheDuring her four seasons of American college swimming, she won seven NCAA national championships, including three titles in the 100-yard backstroke (2008, 2009, 2010), three in the 200-yard backstroke (2007, 2008, 2009), and one in the 200-yard freestyle relay (2010), and was a five-timekey contributor to the Gators winning the NCAA national champion,team championship in 2010. She received eleven-time [[All-American]], honours and four-time All-[[Southeastern Conference]] (SEC) selectionselections, was a two-time SEC champion, and set two-time SEC record holderrecords.

She was a member of Great Britain's 2012 Olympic team, and competed in the 100-metre backstroke event at the [[2012 Summer Olympics]] in London, where she achieved fifth place in 59.20 seconds. After the 2012 Olympics, Spofforth announced her retirement from competitive swimming.<ref>http{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/swimming/19678014|title = Spofforth retires from swimming|work = BBC Sport}}</ref>

|157.00.4517

|2:0706.5666

|2:04.07.6495

{{Portal|Biography|Olympics|Swimming}}

* [http://www.swimming.org/britishswimming/swimming/womens-profiles/gemma-spofforth/223/ Gemma Spofforth] –– British Swimming profile at Swimming.org

* [http://www.teamgb.com/athletes/gemma-spofforth Gemma Spofforth] –– Great Britain Olympic Team athlete profile at TeamGB.com

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090406045936/http://www.gatorzone.com/swimmingdiving/women/bios.php?year=2008&player_id=30 Gemma Spofforth] –– University of Florida athlete profile at GatorZone.com

<br />

{{succession box|before=[[Anastasia Valeryevna Zuyeva|Anastasia Zuyeva]]|title=[[World record progression 100 metres backstroke|Women's 100 -metre backstroke<br />world record holder (long course)]]|years=July 28, July 2009 – 25 July 2017|after=''Incumbent''[[Kylie Masse]]}}

<br />

[[Category:English expatriatesexpatriate sportspeople in the United States]]

[[Category:English female backstroke swimmers]]

[[Category:FemaleBritish female backstroke swimmers]]

[[Category:FemaleBritish female medley swimmers]]

[[Category:OlympicBritish expatriate swimmers ofin the GreatUnited BritainStates]]

[[Category:PeopleSportspeople from Shoreham-by-Sea]]

[[Category:World record holderssetters in swimming]]