Mark Foster (swimmer)
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| Medal record | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Image:Markfoster.jpg Mark Foster |
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| Men’s swimming | |||
Competitor for  United Kingdom |
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| World Championships - Long Course | |||
| Bronze | 2001 Fukuoka | 50 m butterfly | |
| Silver | 2003 Barcelona | 50 m freestyle | |
| World Championships (SC) | |||
| Gold | 1993 Palma | 50 m freestyle | |
| Gold | 1999 Hong Kong | 50 m freestyle | |
| Gold | 1999 Hong Kong | 50 m butterfly | |
| Gold | 2000 Athens | 50 m freestyle | |
| Gold | 2000 Athens | 50 m butterfly | |
| Gold | 2004 Indianapolis | 50 m freestyle | |
| Silver | 1997 Gothenburg | 50 m freestyle | |
| Silver | 2002 Moscow | 50 m freestyle | |
| Silver | 2004 Indianapolis | 50 m butterfly | |
| Silver | 2008 Manchester | 50 m freestyle | |
| Bronze | 1997 Gothenburg | 4x100 m medley | |
| Bronze | 2002 Moscow | 50 m butterfly | |
| Commonwealth Games | |||
| Bronze | 1990 Auckland | 50 m freestyle | |
| Gold | 1994 Victoria | 50 m freestyle | |
| Gold | 1998 Kuala Lumpur | 50 m freestyle | |
| Bronze | 2002 Manchester | 50 m freestyle | |
| Bronze | 2002 Manchester | 50 m butterfly | |
| European Championships (LC) | |||
| Silver | 1997 Seville | 50 m freestyle | |
| Bronze | 1993 Sheffield | 4x100 m medley | |
| Bronze | 1999 Istanbul | 50 m butterfly | |
| Bronze | 2000 Helsinki | 50 m butterfly | |
| European Championships (SC) | |||
| Gold | 1992 Espoo | 50 m butterfly | |
| Bronze | 1992 Espoo | 50 m freestyle | |
| Gold | 1996 Riesa | 50 m freestyle | |
| Gold | 1996 Riesa | 50 m butterfly | |
| Bronze | 1996 Riesa | 4x50 m medley | |
| Gold | 1998 Sheffield | 50 m freestyle | |
| Silver | 1998 Sheffield | 50 m butterfly | |
| Silver | 1998 Sheffield | 4x50 m freestyle | |
| Bronze | 1998 Sheffield | 4x50 m medley | |
| Gold | 1999 Lisboa | 50 m freestyle | |
| Bronze | 1999 Lisboa | 4x50 m medley | |
| Gold | 2000 Valencia | 50 m butterfly | |
| Silver | 2000 Valencia | 50 m freestyle | |
| Bronze | 2000 Valencia | 4x50 m freestyle | |
| Silver | 2001 Antwerp | 50 m butterfly | |
| Silver | 2001 Antwerp | 4x50 m medley | |
| Gold | 2003 Dublin | 50 m freestyle | |
| Gold | 2003 Dublin | 50 m butterfly | |
| Gold | 2004 Vienna | 50 m freestyle | |
| Gold | 2004 Vienna | 50 m butterfly | |
| Gold | 2005 Trieste | 50 m freestyle | |
| Silver | 2005 Trieste | 50 m butterfly | |
| Bronze | 2005 Trieste | 4x50 m medley | |
| Bronze | 2005 Trieste | 4x50 m freestyle | |
Mark Foster (born May 12, 1970 in Billericay, Essex, England) is a British swimmer, specialising in butterfly and freestyle at 50 metres.
He is a specialist short course (25 metre pool) swimmer. In terms of medals and longevity (1986-2006)(2007-?), Foster is amongst the most successful British swimmers of all-time. He made a remarkable comeback at the national championships in July 2007 winning both events he competed in after barely training.He did the fifth best time this year in the world at 50 meters freestyle and hinted he may continue.
Mark Foster was educated at Alleyn Court prep school in Westcliff on Sea, Millfield School, and Southend High School for boys where he excelled in athletics, football and tennis. First selected for the British team in 1985, Foster made steady progress in a discipline traditionally associated with slightly older athletes.
His breakthrough came in 1990 when he won his first individual international medal - bronze - in the Commonwealth Games in Auckland. He finished the 50 metres freestyle with a time of 23.16 seconds. He had previously won bronze as part of the 100 metre freestyle relay in the Edinburgh games four years previous, but cites the 1990 medal as his first great sporting moment.
Success followed rapidly, and in the next few years Foster broke the World Short Course freestyle record four times, the World Short Course butterfly record twice, and once setting the World Long Course butterfly record (in 1996) with a time of 24.07 seconds.
Despite success at Commonwealth, European and World championship level, Olympic titles eluded him, and he has never medalled. Some have suggested that he has never quite achieved his full potential, arguing his maverick approach to training and preparation cost him a higher world ranking.
In 2004, Foster was to face the disappointment of not being selected for the Olympic Games. At the British Olympic Trials, he won the 50 free in 22.49 seconds, well under the Olympic qualifying standard but seven hundredths of a second below the standard National Team Director Bill Sweetenham had set for inclusion in the British Olympic Team. Foster has openly criticised Sweetenham's management style and has trained out with the British team's auspices.
Nonetheless he was to respond to his omission from the Olympic squad with a stunning gold in the World Short Course Championships in Indianapolis later that year. In the 50 metre freestyle he touched in 21.58 seconds, ahead of Stefan Nystrand of Sweden.
Although Mark announced his retirement from swimming after the European short course championships in April 2006 at the age of 35, he still occasionally competes at invitational meets.
His tally includes:
10 Gold, 6 Silver and 6 Bronze Medals at European Short-Course championships, 6 Gold, 3 Silver and 1 Bronze Medal at World Short-Course Championships, and 2 long-course silver medals (one European, 1 World Championships). He also won 2 Gold and 4 Bronze Medals at Commonwealth level (Long-Course);
Mark also appeared on the ITV show beat the star first broadcasted on 4 April 2008 in which he won 18-3, appearing as the 'star' and as a guest home owner on BBC2s Through the Keyhole first broadcast on 28 May 2008.
[edit] Personal best times
| Short course | Long course | |
|---|---|---|
| 50 m Freestyle | 21.13 (2001) (World Record/British Record) | 22.13 (2001) |
| 50 m Butterfly | 22.87 (2001) (British Record) | 23.51 (2003) (British Record) |
