Helene Muller

Karina Helene Muller (also Helene Muller, born 25 April 1978) is a South African former swimmer, who specialised in sprint and middle-distance freestyle events.[1] She represented South Africa in two editions of the Olympic Games (1996 and 2000), and later captured two silver medals each in sprint freestyle and medley relay at the 2002 Commonwealth Games.

Helene Muller
Personal information
Full nameKarina Helene Muller
National team South Africa
Born (1978-04-25) 25 April 1978
Pretoria, South Africa
Height1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight72 kg (159 lb)
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesFreestyle
College teamUniversity of Nebraska (US)
CoachCal Bentz (US)
Medal record
Women's swimming
Representing South Africa
Commonwealth Games
2002 Manchester 100 m freestyle
2002 Manchester 4×100 m medley

While studying in the United States, Muller swam for the Nebraska Cornhuskers swimming and diving team, under head coach Cal Bentz, and Sprint coach Keith Moore, at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, Nebraska. She also received thirteen All-American honours, and earned a bronze medal in the 200-yard freestyle (1:46.97) at the 2000 NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana.[2][3]

Muller made her first South African Olympic team, as an eighteen-year-old junior, at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. There, she failed to reach the top 16 final in any of her individual events, finishing thirty-third in the 100 m freestyle (57.98), and thirtieth in the 200 m freestyle (2:05.59).[4][5] In the 4×100 m medley relay, Muller, along with Marianne Kriel, Penny Heyns, and Mandy Loots, finished fourth with a time of 4:08.16, almost a full second off the podium.[6]

At the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Muller competed in four swimming events.[7] She achieved FINA A-standards of 25.94 (50 m freestyle), 55.82 (100 m freestyle), and 2:00.35 (200 m freestyle) from the South African Nationals in Johannesburg.[8][9][10] In her first event, 200 m freestyle, Muller finished her semi-final run with a ninth-seeded time of 2:00.04.[11][12] Earlier in the prelims, she posted a second-fastest time and a South African record of 1:59.89.[13] Three days later, in the 100 m freestyle, Muller finished sixth in the final with a sterling African record of 55.19.[14][15] In the 50 m freestyle, Muller posted a time of 26.07 from heat nine, but missed the semi-finals by 11-hundredths of a second.[16][17] On the last day of the program, Muller teamed up again with Loots, Sarah Poewe, and Charlene Wittstock in the 4×100 m medley relay. Swimming a freestyle leg, Muller anchored the race with a split of 54.77, a new national record, but the South Africans settled only for fifth place in a final time of 4:05.15.[18][19]

At the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England, Muller captured two silver medals each in the 100 m freestyle (55.60), and in the 4×100 m medley relay (4:05.06), along with Loots, Poewe, and Wittstock.[20][21] She now lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she is finishing up medical school. She is married to Mark Rovnan, and has two children, Karina (8) and Milan (5).

References
  1. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Helene Muller". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  2. "Husker Olympians". Nebraska Cornhuskers. 23 June 2004. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  3. "Nebraska's All-Time Top Five" (PDF). Nebraska Cornhuskers. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  4. "Atlanta 1996: Aquatics (Swimming) – Women's 100m Freestyle Heat 3" (PDF). Atlanta 1996. LA84 Foundation. p. 37. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 May 2011. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  5. "Atlanta 1996: Aquatics (Swimming) – Women's 200m Freestyle Heat 2" (PDF). Atlanta 1996. LA84 Foundation. p. 38. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 May 2011. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  6. "Atlanta 1996: Aquatics (Swimming) – Women's 4×100m Medley Relay Final" (PDF). Atlanta 1996. LA84 Foundation. p. 53. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 May 2011. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  7. "South Africa Announces Olympic Squad". Swimming World. 11 April 2000. Archived from the original on 15 June 2013. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
  8. "Swimming – Women's 50m Freestyle Startlist (Heat 8)" (PDF). Sydney 2000. Omega Timing. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  9. "Swimming – Women's 100m Freestyle Startlist (Heat 7)" (PDF). Sydney 2000. Omega Timing. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  10. "Swimming – Women's 200m Freestyle Startlist (Heat 4)" (PDF). Sydney 2000. Omega Timing. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  11. "Sydney 2000: Swimming – Women's 200m Freestyle Semi-final 1" (PDF). Sydney 2000. LA84 Foundation. p. 181. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 August 2011. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  12. Whitten, Phillip (18 September 2000). "Olympic Day 3 Finals (100 Breast, 100 Back M, 100 Back W, 200 Free)". Swimming World. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
  13. "Malchow sets Olympic record in 200 fly". Canoe.ca. 18 September 2000. Retrieved 28 May 2013.
  14. "SA swimmers sink in tough day". News24. 21 September 2000. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  15. Whitten, Phillip (21 September 2000). "Olympic Day 6 Finals". Swimming World. Archived from the original on 3 February 2011. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
  16. "Sydney 2000: Swimming – Women's 50m Freestyle Heat 9" (PDF). Sydney 2000. LA84 Foundation. p. 166. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 August 2011. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  17. "Results from the Summer Olympics – Swimming (Women's 50m Freestyle)". Canoe.ca. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  18. Whitten, Phillip (23 September 2000). "Olympic Day 8 Finals – Complete". Swimming World. Archived from the original on 15 June 2013. Retrieved 28 May 2013.
  19. "Relay women smash SA record to reach final". Independent Online. 22 September 2000. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  20. "England Celebrates Its Greatest Day Ever in International Competition, Wins 4 Gold on Day 3 of Commonwealth Games". Swimming World. 1 August 2002. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  21. "Henry glides through water for gold". Manchester 2002. 1 August 2002. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
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