Antje BUSCHSCHULTE

Antje Buschschulte started to swim at the early age of seven, and in 1993 had her first international competition. She was a sprint specialist in both freestyle and backstroke and for 14 years was one of the most successful competitive German female swimmers after German reunification. In total she won 24 national titles and over 50 international medals at World and European Championships, and at the Olympics, including five bronzes at the Olympics. These included a 1996 Olympic Games bronze medal in the 4×100 free relay, 2000 Olympic bronze medal in the 4×200 free relay, and 2004 Olympic bronzes in the 200 back, 4×200 free relay and medley relay. At the Worlds she won gold in the 2001 4×100 free relay and 2003 100 back, adding silvers in 2003 in the 50 backstroke and 4×100 free relay and a bronze in the 100 backstroke, and at the 2005 World Championships she won silver in the 100 back and 4×100 free relay, and bronzes in the 50 back and medley relay. At the European Championships, where she competed from 1997-2006, she won six gold, three silver, and four bronze medals.

In November 2008 Buschschulte retired and earned her doctoral degree in neurobiology at the Otto-von-Guericke Universität in Magdeburg. She then married her partner, German swimmer Helge Meeuw.

Personal Bests: 100 freestyle – 54.39 (2000); 200 freestyle – 2:00.25 (2000); 100 backstroke – 1:00.33 (2003); 200 backstroke – 2:09.88 (2004).