Hetty Balkenende

Hetty Balkenende (also spelled Hettie, born 1939)[1] is a former freestyle swimmer and synchronized swimmer from the Netherlands who won a silver medal in the 4×100 m freestyle relay at the 1954 European Aquatics Championships. In 1955, she helped the Dutch team to set the world record in the same event; she also won two national titles (100 m and 400 m freestyle), broke two national records in the 400 m freestyle, and the world record on the 880 yards – all in one year.[3][2] She was selected for the Dutch Olympic team, but the Netherlands boycotted the 1956 Summer Olympics in protest over the Soviet handling of the Hungarian uprising, so that Balkenende missed the opportunity to acquire an Olympic medal.

Hetty Balkenende
Hetty Balkenende in 1966
Personal information
Born1939 (age 81–82) [1][2]
Amsterdam ? [1]
Sport
SportSwimming, synchronized swimming
ClubZAR
Medal record
Women's Swimming
Representing the  Netherlands
European Championships (LC)
1954 Turin 4×100 m freestyle

After retiring from competitive swimming she switched to synchronized swimming and became the unofficial European champion at the 1963 European Championships for all three routines (solo, pair, and technical).[4] She married Jens Svensson on 15 April 1967.[5] As a Norwegian, Hetty Svensson-Balkenende won the national and Scandinavian/Nordic championships synchronized swimming in 1970.[6][7]

References
  1. Rika: voel me als een moeder, Het vrije volk, 18 July 1955 (in Dutch)
  2. Miss Crapp After Record, The Age, January 3, 1956
  3. Hetty Balkenende. zwemmenindepolder.nl
  4. Europese Kampioenschappen Kunstzwemmen gehuldigd Friedas Eichenberg, Annie Appels, Hetty Balkenende, Frieda Sibijn en Nienke te Riet. gahetna.nl (in Dutch)
  5. Huwelijk kunstzwemster Hetty Balkende met de Noor Jens Svensson. gahetna.nl (in Dutch)
  6. Historisk oversikt over Norgesmestre i synkronsvømming for senior (in Norwegian)
  7. Ny dansk sejr i nordisk synkro-landskamp, Svømmesport, Jujne 1970 (in Danish)
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