Ellen Gandy

Ellen May Gandy (born 15 August 1991), also known by her nickname Elly Gandy, is an Australian female butterfly swimmer originally from Great Britain. She represented Great Britain at the 2008 Summer Olympics and 2012 Summer Olympics in the 200m butterfly swimming event, and was the 2011 World silver medalist at that distance.

Ellen Gandy
Personal information
Full nameEllen May Gandy
Nickname(s)"Elly"
National team Great Britain
 Australia
Born (1991-08-15) 15 August 1991
Bromley, England
Height1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)[1]
Weight60 kg (9 st 6 lb; 132 lb)[1]
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesButterfly
ClubNunawading
CoachRohan Taylor

Following a disappointing 2012 Games, Gandy expressed an intention to swim for Australia, having lived and trained there since 2007, and served a period of ineligibility in order to do so. She represented Australia for the first time at a FINA World Cup event in Eindhoven in August 2013. Since her switch, Gandy has publicly adopted the first name Elly, the name by which she has been known privately in Australia.[2]

Under her new flag, Gandy is the current holder of the Australian and Commonwealth short-course 200m butterfly record. She remains the British long course record-holder in 100 and 200 metre butterfly, and 4 × 100 metre medley.

Swimming career

At the age of 13, Gandy was selected by talent scouts to be a member of Britain's Smart Track squad of super talents formed by performance director Bill Sweetenham.

On 19 March 2009 Gandy swam a European record time in the women's 200m butterfly at the British Championships in Sheffield.[3] Her time of 2:04.83 beat the previous record of 2:05.61 set by Poland's Otylia Jędrzejczak and was almost two seconds faster than Jemma Lowe's previous British record.

In 2011 at the World Championships in Shanghai, Gandy claimed silver in the 200m butterfly. She was second to Jiao Liuyang, China's Olympic silver medallist of 2008, and ahead of the bronze medallist Liu Zige, Olympic champion for China in 2008.

Gandy secured her place in the British team for the 2012 Olympics with victory in the 100 m and 200 m butterfly in the trials at the London Aquatics Centre.[4] At the Olympics she finished in 19th place.[5]

Personal life

Gandy started school at Balgowan Primary School, Beckenham, UK and then went to Langley Park School for Girls, Beckenham before moving to Melbourne, Australia in 2007 where she attended Carey Baptist Grammar School.

See also

References
  1. Ellen Gandy British Swimming
  2. New nation, new record, new suit for Gandy
  3. Craig Lord (18 March 2009). "Gandy: 2:04.84 European Record 200 'fly". SwimNews Online. Retrieved 19 March 2009.
  4. Nick Hope (7 March 2012). "London 2012: Ellen Gandy earns second Team GB Olympic place". BBC Sport. Retrieved 10 March 2012.
  5. "Gandy crashes out". Sky Sports. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
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