Markus Thormeyer

Markus Thormeyer (born August 25, 1997) is a Canadian competitive swimmer who specializes in freestyle and backstroke. Originally from Delta, Thormeyer moved in 2015 to Vancouver, British Columbia after graduating high school to train with the High Performance Centre-Vancouver. While he swims he is also pursuing an undergraduate degree in environmental science at the University of British Columbia.[1][2]

Markus Thormeyer
Personal information
National team Canada
Born (1997-08-25) August 25, 1997
Newmarket, Ontario
Height1.98 m (6 ft 6 in)
Weight90 kg (200 lb)
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesBackstroke, Freestyle
ClubHigh Performance Centre-Vancouver, Winskill Dolphins Swim Club, UBC Thunderbirds

Career

Thormeyer began swimming at the age of 10 for the Markham Aquatic Club in Markham, Ontario but moved across the country to Delta, British Columbia shortly after he started. He continued to swim competitively under the Winskill Dolphins Swim Club through to his high school graduation.

As an age-group swimmer, Thormeyer made a name for himself on the Canadian swimming scene. At 15 he competed at the 2013 Canada Summer Games for Team British Columbia, where he earned a bronze in the men's 100m backstroke. He also represented Canada multiple times on the junior international stage, being the youngest male on the Canada's 2013 FINA World Junior Swimming Championships team and winning five bronze medals at the 2014 Junior Pan Pacific Championships.[3] These accomplishments earned him the Delta Sport's Hall of Fame 2014 Youth Athlete of the Year and the Sport BC Junior Male Athlete of the Year in 2016.[4][5]

It wasn't until 2015 when Thormeyer made his first senior international appearance at the 2015 Pan American Games where he won a silver as a part of the 4x100 m freestyle relay.[6] Later that summer at the 2015 FINA World Junior Swimming Championships, Thormeyer went along to win gold while also setting a new world junior record with Penny Oleksiak, Taylor Ruck, and Javier Acevedo on Canada's mixed 4 × 100 m freestyle relay.

After winning a gold and two bronzes at the Canadian Olympic Trials in 2016, he was named to Canada's Olympic team for the 2016 Summer Olympics.[7] Thormeyer swam the third leg of the men's 4 × 100 m freestyle relay which qualified for the final in fifth place, but ultimately placed seventh overall in the final. Later that year in December, Thormeyer won a bronze medal as part of Canada's 4x50m mixed freestyle event alongside Sandrine Mainville, Michelle Toro, and Yuri Kisil at the World Short Course Championships in Windsor, Ontario.

Thormeyer is also a part of the University of British Columbia varsity swim team. Winning multiple individual events and contributing as a key swimmer for the relays earned him the title of both U Sports Rookie of the Year and UBC Thunderbirds Rookie of the Year in his first year on the collegiate stage.[8] He has proved himself to be a vital component to the UBC Thunderbird varsity swim team, contributing to multiple Canada West Championship titles and U Sport Championship national titles.[9]

In April 2017, Thormeyer was named to Canada's 2017 World Aquatics Championships team in Budapest, Hungary, where he contributed to a bronze medal for Canada in the 4 × 100 m mixed freestyle relay.[10][11] He also was named to the Canada's 2017 Summer Universiade team and competed at the games that summer in TaiPei City, Taiwan.[12]

2018 Commonwealth Games

In September 2017, Thormeyer was named to Canada's 2018 Commonwealth Games team.[13][14]

Thormeyer won a bronze medal in the 100 metre backstroke event. Competing backstroke for the first time on the international senior stage, he qualified for the final in second place with a significant best time. In the final however, he was edged out of silver by a couple tenths, taking the bronze.[15]

Personal bests
As of September 2018
Long course
Event Time Meet Date Note(s)
100 m freestyle48.89 2018 Pan Pacific Championships, Tastumi International Swimming Centre, Tokyo 11 Aug 2018
200 m freestyle1:47.66 2018 Canadian Swimming Trials, Kinsmen Sports Centre, Edmonton 18 July 2018
100 m backstroke53.86 2018 Commonwealth Games, Gold Coast Aquatic Centre, Southport 5 April 2018
200 m backstroke1:57.82 2018 Commonwealth Games, Gold Coast Aquatic Centre, Southport 9 April 2018

Personal life

Thormeyer came out as gay in February 2020.[16]

References
  1. "Markus Thormeyer". Team Canada - Official 2018 Olympic Team Website. 2015-04-10. Retrieved 2018-05-06.
  2. "The University of British Columbia Athletics". gothunderbirds.ca. Retrieved 2018-05-06.
  3. "Markus Thormeyer". Swimming Canada. Retrieved 2018-05-06.
  4. "Markus Thormeyer | Delta Sports Hall of Fame". www.deltasportshalloffame.ca. Retrieved 2018-05-28.
  5. "Past Recipients - Sport BC". sportbc.com. Archived from the original on 2014-12-02. Retrieved 2018-05-28.
  6. Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games profile
  7. "Olympic Team Nominated for Rio 2016". Swimming Canada. Swimming Canada. 10 April 2016. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  8. "The 2017 Big Block Award Winners are... - The University of British Columbia". University of British Columbia. Retrieved 2018-05-05.
  9. "Championship recap Day 3: T-Birds sweep national banners for second straight season". U SPORTS. Retrieved 2018-05-05.
  10. Sutherland, James (9 April 2017). "Canada To Send 26 Pool, 6 Open Water Swimmers To World Championships". www.swimswam.com. Swim Swam. Retrieved 10 April 2017.
  11. "Sydney Pickrem Sets Canadian Record, Team Canada Named on Exciting Final Night at Trials". www.swimming.ca/. Swimming Canada. 9 April 2017. Retrieved 10 April 2017.
  12. "Meet the Canadians leading the Summer Universiade medal charge | CBC Sports". CBC. Retrieved 2018-05-06.
  13. "Swimming Canada Nominates 26 Athletes to Canada's 2018 Commonwealth Games Team". www.swimming.ca/. Swimming Canada. 26 September 2017. Retrieved 27 September 2017.
  14. "Oleksiak, Masse headline Canadian swim team for Commonwealth Games". www.cbc.ca/. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). 26 September 2017. Retrieved 27 September 2017.
  15. "Markus Thormeyer reaches new heights with bronze at Commonwealth Games". Swimming Canada. 2018-04-06. Retrieved 2018-05-06.
  16. "Olympic swimmer performed at his peak after coming out as gay". Outsports. 19 February 2020. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
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