Editing Eric Moussambani (section)

{{short description|Equatoguinean swimmer (born 1978)}}
{{EngvarB|date=June 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2022}}
{{family name hatnote|Moussambani|Malonga|lang=Spanish}}
{{Infobox swimmer
| name = Eric Moussambani
| fullname = Eric Moussambani Malonga
| country = Equatorial Guinea
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1978|5|31}}
| birth_place = [[Malabo]], Equatorial Guinea<!-- DO NOT LINK, see [[MOS:GEOLINK]] for further guidance -->
| hometown = 
| residence = 
| training = 
| height = 
| pb = {{ubl|'''50&nbsp;m freestyle''': 27.9{{abbr|s|Hand Timed}} '''NR''' (2004)|'''100&nbsp;m freestyle''': 56.9{{abbr|s|Hand Timed}} '''NR''' (2004)}}
| event = {{Unbulleted list
|50 m [[freestyle swimming|freestyle]]
|100 m [[freestyle swimming|freestyle]]
}}
| natlteam = 
| club = 
}}

'''Eric Moussambani Malonga''' (born 31 May 1978) is an Equatoguinean [[swimmer]]. Nicknamed '''Eric the Eel''' by the media, Moussambani won brief international fame at the [[2000 Summer Olympics]] for an extremely unlikely victory. Moussambani, who had never seen an Olympic-sized (50 meters) swimming pool before, swam his heat of the [[Swimming at the 2000 Summer Olympics – Men's 100 metre freestyle|100&nbsp;m freestyle]] on 19&nbsp;September in a time of 1:52.72.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.times-olympics.co.uk/archive/swimmings19o.html#story2 | title = Courage on the blocks | access-date = 9 May 2008 | last = Lord | first = Craig | date = 19 September 2000 | work = Sydney Olympics 2000: Swimming News Archive | quote = Moussambani would plough a lonely lane for his finest 1mins 52.7&nbsp;sec, though it felt like an hour. Equatorial Guinea's aquatic answer to Eddie the Eagle – Eric the Eel – churned the lane in which Ian Thorpe had raced to a silver medal in 1&nbsp;min 45&nbsp;sec over double the distance the day before.}}</ref> This was the slowest time in Olympic history by far, and Moussambani had trouble finishing the race, but he won his heat after both his competitors were disqualified due to false starts. Although Moussambani's time was still too slow to advance to the next round, he set a new personal best and an Equatoguinean national record.<ref>{{cite web|last=Wallis |first=Holly |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19127802 |title=London 2012: The Olympic also-rans |work=BBC News |date=8 August 2012 |access-date=2012-08-09}}</ref> He later became the coach of the national swimming squad of [[Equatorial Guinea]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Decent |first=Tom |title='I used to be a very shy guy': What Sydney Olympics cult hero Eric the Eel did next |url=https://www.smh.com.au/sport/swimming/i-used-to-be-a-very-shy-guy-what-sydney-olympics-cult-hero-eric-the-eel-did-next-20200803-p55i4l.html |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=28 August 2020 |accessdate=27 July 2021}}</ref>