Thierry Wouters

{{Short description|Belgian swimmer (born 1979)}}

{{Infobox swimmer

| name = Thierry Wouters

| image =

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| fullname =

| nicknames = Thierry Wouters

| national_team = {{BEL}}

| strokes = Freestyle

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| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1979|7|12|df=yes}}

| birth_place =Nivelles, Belgium

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| height = {{convert|1.88|m|ftin|0|abbr=on}}

| weight = {{convert|76|kg|lb|0|abbr=on}}

| medaltemplates =

| show-medals = yes

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}}

Thierry Wouters (born 12 July 1979) is a Belgian former swimmer, who specialized in sprint freestyle events.{{cite sports-reference|title = Thierry Wouters|url = https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/wo/thierry-wouters-1.html|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200418025204/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/wo/thierry-wouters-1.html|url-status = dead|archive-date = 18 April 2020|access-date = 25 May 2013}} He is a single-time Olympian (2000) and a former Belgian record holder in the 50 and 100 m freestyle.

Wouters made an international headline at the 1999 European Short Course Swimming Championships, when he set a Belgian record of 22.35 to earn a sixth spot in the 50 m freestyle.{{cite news|title=Zwemmen – 50m vrij: Yoris Grandjean evenaart Belgisch record|trans-title=Swimming – 50m free: Yoris Grandjean equals Belgian record|language=Dutch|url=http://www.gva.be/arch/zwemmen-50m-vrij-yoris-grandjean-evenaart-belgisch-record.aspx|publisher=Gazet van Antwerpen|date=12 July 2007|accessdate=25 May 2013}}

At the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Wouters competed in a sprint freestyle double. He posted FINA B-standards of 22.92 (50 m freestyle) and 50.50 (100 m freestyle) from the Belgian Championships in Antwerp.{{cite web|title=Swimming – Men's 50m Freestyle Startlist (Heat 6)|url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=000100060000000000FFFFFFFFFFFF00|format=PDF|work=Sydney 2000|publisher=Omega Timing|accessdate=23 April 2013}}{{cite web|title=Swimming – Men's 100m Freestyle Startlist (Heat 7)|url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=000100060003000000FFFFFFFFFFFF00|format=PDF|work=Sydney 2000|publisher=Omega Timing|accessdate=23 April 2013}}{{cite news|title=Records voor Thierry Wouters, Renaat Dreesen en aflossingsteams|trans-title=Records for Thierry Wouters, Renaat Dreesen and redemption teams|language=Dutch|url=http://www.standaard.be/cnt/DST15052000_063|publisher=De Standaard|date=15 May 2000|accessdate=25 May 2013}} In the 100 m freestyle, Wouters placed thirty-second on the morning's prelims. Swimming in heat seven, he edged out Finland's Jere Hård to pick up a seventh spot by four-hundredths of a second (0.04) in 51.07.{{cite web|title=Sydney 2000: Swimming – Men's 100m Freestyle Heat 7 |url=http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/2000/Masters/sw/SWresults.pdf |format=PDF |work=Sydney 2000 |publisher=LA84 Foundation |page=115 |accessdate=19 April 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110819181023/http://la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/2000/Masters/sw/SWresults.pdf |archivedate=19 August 2011 }} Two days later, in the 50 m freestyle, Wouters challenged seven other swimmers in heat six, including Ukraine's rising favorite Oleksandr Volynets and Lithuania's Rolandas Gimbutis, the tallest swimmer at the Games. Because one swimmer out of the race for no false-start rule, Wouters rounded out the field to last place and thirty-ninth overall in 23.44, more than half a second (0.50) off his record and entry time.{{cite web|title=Sydney 2000: Swimming – Men's 50m Freestyle Heat 6 |url=http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/2000/Masters/sw/SWresults.pdf |format=PDF |work=Sydney 2000 |publisher=LA84 Foundation |page=104 |accessdate=28 April 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110819181023/http://la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/2000/Masters/sw/SWresults.pdf |archivedate=19 August 2011 }}