Valentin Preda
{{Short description|Romanian swimmer (born 1985)}}
{{Infobox swimmer
| name = Valentin Preda
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| fullname = Valentin Preda
| nationality = {{ROU}}
| strokes = Breaststroke
| club = SCM Piteşti
| coach = Arthur Albiero (U. of Louisville)
| collegeteam = University of Louisville (U.S.)
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1985|5|24|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Brăila, Romania
| death_date =
| death_place =
| height = {{convert|1.96|m|ftin|0|abbr=on}}
| weight = {{convert|72|kg|lb|0|abbr=on}}
| medaltemplates=
| show-medals = yes
| updated =
}}
Valentin "Vali" Preda (born May 24, 1985, in Brăila) is a Romanian swimmer, who specialized in breaststroke events.{{cite sports-reference|title = Valentin Preda|url = https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/pr/valentin-preda-1.html|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200418052911/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/pr/valentin-preda-1.html|url-status = dead|archive-date = 18 April 2020|access-date = 24 November 2012}} He represented his nation Romania at the 2008 Summer Olympics, and has also claimed multiple Romanian national records in the breaststroke (both 100 and 200 m), and medley relays (both 200 and 400 m).
Preda is a former member of the swimming team for the University of Louisville in Louisville, Kentucky, where he competed and trained under Head Coach Arthur Albiero, and completed an undergraduate degree in exercise science.Sullivan, Tim, "Global Reach of Games Boosts U of L, Art Albiero", The Courier-Journal, Louisville, Kentucky, July 31, 2016, pg. C4
2008 European Aquatics Championships
Leading up to the 2008 Olympic Games, Preda scored an eighteenth-place time in 1:02.16 (100 m breaststroke) to beat the FINA B-cut (1:03.72) at the European Championships five months earlier in Eindhoven, Netherlands.{{cite web|title=Olympic Cut Sheet – Men's 100m Breaststroke|url=http://magazines.swimmingworld.com:9997/SPIPDF/080508olyscutsheet.pdf|page=27|publisher=Swimming World Magazine|accessdate=9 April 2013}}{{cite web|title=2008 LEN European Aquatics Championships (Eindhoven, Netherlands) – Men's 100m Breaststroke Heats|url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=0001080F0004000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01|format=PDF|publisher=Omega Timing|accessdate=11 February 2013}}
2008 Olympics
Preda competed for Romania in two swimming events at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. In the 100 m breaststroke, Preda fired off a 1:01.77 to drop his own Romanian record on a tech body suit by 0.11 of a second and tie for third with Sweden's Jonas Andersson in heat five, but failed to advance to the semifinals, finishing thirty-first overall in the prelims.{{cite news|title=Vali Preda Swims First Olympic Race|url=http://www.gocards.com/sports/c-swim/spec-rel/080908aaa.html|publisher=Louisville Cardinals|date=9 August 2008|accessdate=11 April 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029194851/http://www.gocards.com/sports/c-swim/spec-rel/080908aaa.html|archive-date=29 October 2013|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}{{cite web|title=Men's 100m Breaststroke Heat 5 |url=http://www.2008.nbcolympics.com/swimming/resultsandschedules/rsc=SWM031900/index.html |work=Beijing 2008 |publisher=NBC Olympics |accessdate=24 November 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120821062328/http://www.2008.nbcolympics.com/swimming/resultsandschedules/rsc%3DSWM031900/index.html |archivedate=21 August 2012 }}
In his second 2008 Olympic event, Preda teamed up with Răzvan Florea, Ioan Gherghel, and Norbert Trandafir in the 4 × 100 m medley relay. Swimming the breaststroke leg in heat one, Preda recorded a split of 1:01.41, before the Romanian foursome finished the race in fifth position and thirteenth overall with a new national record of 3:38.00.{{cite web|title=Men's 4 × 100m Medley Relay Heat 1|url=http://www.2008.nbcolympics.com/swimming/resultsandschedules/rsc=SWM451900/index.html|work=Beijing 2008|publisher=NBC Olympics|accessdate=24 November 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120821062615/http://www.2008.nbcolympics.com/swimming/resultsandschedules/rsc=SWM451900/index.html|archive-date=21 August 2012|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}{{cite news|title=Vali Preda Helps Set New Romanian Record in 4×100 Medley Relay|url=http://www.gocards.com/sports/c-swim/spec-rel/081508aaa.html|publisher=Louisville Cardinals|date=15 August 2008|accessdate=11 April 2013|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130629105034/http://www.gocards.com/sports/c-swim/spec-rel/081508aaa.html|archive-date=29 June 2013|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20131021200814/http://www.gocards.com/sports/c-swim/mtt/preda_vali00.html Player Bio – Louisville Cardinals]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20120825021520/http://www.2008.nbcolympics.com/athletes/athlete=63467/bio/index.html NBC 2008 Olympics profile]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Preda, Valentin}}
Category:Romanian male breaststroke swimmers
Category:Olympic swimmers for Romania
Category:Swimmers at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Category:Sportspeople from Brăila
Category:Louisville Cardinals men's swimmers
Category:Expatriate swimmers in the United States
Category:21st-century Romanian sportsmen
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