Nicholas Gillingham, MBE (born 22 January 1967) is an English former competitive swimmer, active in the 1980s and 1990s. Born in Walsall, he represented Great Britain in the Olympics, FINA World championships and European championships, as well as representing England in the Commonwealth Games. Medalling in two Olympic Games in 1988 and 1992, he was a World (short course), European and Commonwealth champion in his specialist event, the 200 metres breaststroke. His career broadly overlapped with fellow British breaststroker and Olympic 100 metre breaststroke champion, Adrian Moorhouse.
Swimming career
editOlympic Games
editGillingham participated in three consecutive Summer Olympics, starting in 1988. At the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, he won the silver medal in the 200-metre breaststroke in a Commonwealth record of 2:14.12,[1] followed by a bronze medal in the same event four years later at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona in another Commonwealth record of 2:11.29.[2] Although better known as a 200m breaststroke swimmer, Gillingham was also a world class 100m swimmer and was ranked first in the world in 1992 with his Commonwealth record of 1:01.33 from the British Olympic trials. However, he sustained a leg injury during the Olympics which impaired his performance in the 100m final where he finished 7th, half a second slower than his heat time.[3]
Commonwealth Games
editGillingham won seven Commonwealth Games medals; he represented England and won a silver medal in the 4 x 100 metres medley relay and a bronze medal in the 200 metres breaststroke, at the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, Scotland.[4] Four years later he represented England and won two bronze medals in the 100 metres and 200 metres breaststroke, at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland, New Zealand.[5] At the 1994 Commonwealth Games he won the gold medal in the 200 metres breaststroke, the silver medal in the 100 metres breaststroke and a bronze medal in medley relay.[6]
Other
editIn August 1989 in the European Championships, he equalled the existing world record in the long-course 200-metre breaststroke in a time of 2:12.90,[7] only to co-hold it for a single day before the other record co-holder, American Mike Barrowman, lowered the record again.
He was trained by Tim Jones and also won the world title at the first inaugural 1993 FINA Short Course World Championships in Palma de Mallorca. He broke three world, ten European, nine Commonwealth and seventeen British records during his career and won 17 major championships.
He dominated the ASA National Championships in the breaststroke events, following on from his predecessor Adrian Moorhouse and won the 100 metres breaststroke title in 1992 and 1993 [8][9] and the 200 metres breaststroke on eight occasions (1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993 and 1995).[10][11][12][13][14][15][16]
Personal life
editGillingham was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 1993 New Year Honours for services to swimming,[17] and retired from full-time competitive sport in 1996. After retiring, he established a sports communications business focusing on sports marketing, development & events. Recently, Gillingham took part in a scheme called Young Ambassadors, promoting youth sport development in the North East of England at Loughborough.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Men 200m Breaststroke Swimming Olympic Games 1988 Seoul (KOR)". 30 May 2009. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
- ^ "Men 200m Breaststroke Swimming Olympic Games 1992 Barcelona (ESP)". 30 May 2009. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
- ^ "Men 100m Breaststroke Swimming Olympic Games 1992 Barcelona (ESP)". 30 May 2009. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
- ^ "1986 Athletes". Team England.
- ^ "1990 Athletes". Team England.
- ^ "Athletes and results". Commonwealth Games Federation.
- ^ "Men 200m Breaststroke 19th Swimming European Championships 1989 Bonn (FRG)". 18 December 2010. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
- ^ ""Results from Sheffield." Times, 15 June 1992, p. 28". The Times. Times Digital Archive. 15 June 1992. p. 28.
- ^ ""For the Record." Times, 14 June 1993, p. 24". The Times. Times Digital Archive. 14 June 1993. p. 24.
- ^ Moor, Roy (3 August 1987). "Moor, Roy. "Lee snatches title with exhilarating late surge." Times, 3 Aug. 1987, p. 31". The Times. Times Digital Archive. p. 31.
- ^ ""Results from Leeds." Times, 1 Aug. 1988, p. 31". The Times. Times Digital Archive. August 1988. p. 31.
- ^ Downes, Steven (17 July 1989). "Downes, Steven. "Selectors juggle numbers for Bonn." Times, 17 July 1989, p. 31". The Times. Times Digital Archive. p. 31.
- ^ ""Results from Crystal Palace." Times, 30 July 1990, p. 30". The Times. Times Digital Archive. 30 July 1990. p. 30.
- ^ ""Results from Leeds." Times, 5 Aug. 1991, p. 30". The Times. Times Digital Archive. 5 August 1991. p. 30.
- ^ ""Results from Sheffield." Times, 15 June 1992, p. 28". The Times. Times Digital Archive. 15 June 1992. p. 28.
- ^ ""For the Record." Times, 14 June 1993, p. 24". The Times. Times Digital Archive. 14 June 1993. p. 24.
- ^ UK list: "No. 53153". The London Gazette (1st supplement). 31 December 1992. p. 14.