![\"Brooke](\"\/media\/BrookeBehindBlocks(1).jpg\")
<\/p>\nPHOENIX, Dec. 14. DUTCH swimmers Pieter van den Hoogenband and Inge De Bruijn were named "World Swimmers of the Year" today by Swimming World magazine, the magazine of record in the sport of swimming. The announcements were made in the December issue of the magazine, published today.<\/p>\n
It marked the first time a Dutch swimmer has ever won the coveted award, and the first time the male and female honoree swim for the same team. Both van den Hoogenband and De Bruijn represent Poseidon SV Eindhoven in The Netherlands,.<\/p>\n
Van den Hoogenband, known as "Hoogie," played the giant killer at the Sydney Olympic Games defeating two "unbeatable" icons of the sport, Australia\u2019s Ian Thorpe and Russia\u2019s Alexandre Popov in their best events. First the soft-spoken Dutchman won the 200 metres freestyle in world record time (1:45.35), defeating Australia\u2019s Thorpe before a stunned home crowd. Then he came back to depose Russia\u2019s Popov in the 100 metres, setting a world record (47.84 seconds) in the semifinal and becoming the first man to crack 48 seconds. Popov, the former world record-holder, was favored to become the first man ever to win an Olympic swimming title in the same event three times in succession.<\/p>\n
De Bruijn, known as "Inky," was nothing short of spectacular in 2000, breaking the world record in four events no fewer than 11 times between May and September. The "Flying Dutchwoman" capped an astonishing year by winning three individual gold medals in Sydney, all in world record time: 50 metres freestyle in 24.13 seconds; 100 metres freestyle in 53.77 seconds; and 100 metres butterfly in 56.61 seconds.<\/p>\n
Van den Hoogenband and De Bruijn also were named "European Swimmers of the Year" by the magazine.<\/p>\n
Brooke Bennett captured female "American Swimmer of the Year" honors while Lenny Krayzelburg and Tom Dolan finished in an unprecedented tie for male "American Swimmer." Bennett won individual gold medals in Sydney in both the 400 metres freestyle and the 800, reprising her winning Atlanta performance in the longer event. Krayzelburg, won both the 100 and 200 metre backstroke, then led off the USA\u2019s world record-setting 4 x 100 metres medley relay. Dolan broke the world record in winning gold in the 400 metre individual medley in Sydney. He also set an American record in the 200 medley, where he finished second.<\/p>\n
For the third consecutive year, Ian Thorpe and Susie O\u2019Neill were named "Pacific Rim Swimmers of the Year" by the magazine. Thorpe had copped "World Swimmer" honors in both 1998 and \u201999.<\/p>\n
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