Editing Ryk Neethling (section)

{{short description|South African swimmer and Olympic gold medalist}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Infobox swimmer
| name = Ryk Neethling
| image =
| imagesize = <!-- Only for images narrower than 220 pixels -->
| caption =
| fullname = Ryk Neethling
| nicknames =
| nationality = South African
| strokes = Freestyle
| club = Seals Swim Club<br>Bloemfontein, S.A.
| coach       = Simon Gray (Seals SC)<br>[[Rick DeMont|R. DeMont]], [[Frank Busch|F. Busch]] (U. A.)
| collegeteam = [[University of Arizona]]
| birth_date =  {{birth date and age|df=y|1977|11|17}} 
| birth_place = [[Bloemfontein]]
| death_date =
| death_place =
| height = 196 cm  
| weight = 95 kg
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalSport | Men's swimming}}
{{MedalCountry|{{RSA}}}}
{{MedalCompetition | [[Olympic Games]] }}
[[File:Olympic rings.svg|center|80px]]
{{MedalGold| [[2004 Summer Olympics|2004 Athens]]<ref>{{cite news|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/olympics/2004/schedules/117BySport.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040814153430/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/olympics/2004/schedules/117BySport.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=14 August 2004 |title=2004 Olympic Games swimming results |access-date=22 July 2007 | publisher=CNN}}</ref> | [[Swimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay|4×100 m free]]}} 
{{MedalCompetition|[[FINA World Aquatics Championships|World Championships (LC)]]}}
{{MedalBronze|[[2005 World Aquatics Championships|2005 Montreal]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fina.org/events/WC/Montreal_2005/results/sw.php |title=Montreal 2005 Results |access-date=9 June 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070128064425/http://www.fina.org/events/WC/Montreal_2005/results/sw.php <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 28 January 2007}}</ref>|[[Swimming at the 2005 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 100 metre freestyle|100 m freestyle]]}}
{{MedalBronze|[[2005 World Aquatics Championships|2005 Montreal]]|[[Swimming at the 2005 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 200 metre freestyle|200 m freestyle]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[FINA World Championships - Short Course|World Championships (SC)]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[2006 FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m)|2006 Shanghai]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fina.org/events/SW/SWC(25m)/Shanghai_2006/results/index.php |title=Shanghai 2006 results |access-date=24 July 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070306103724/http://www.fina.org/events/SW/SWC(25m)/Shanghai_2006/results/index.php <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 6 March 2007}}</ref>|[[2006 FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m)|100 m freestyle]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[2006 FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m)|2006 Shanghai]]|[[2006 FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m)|100 m medley]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[2006 FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m)|2006 Shanghai]]|[[2006 FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m)|200 m freestyle]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Pan Pacific Swimming Championships|Pan Pacific Championships]]}}
{{MedalSilver| [[1999 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships|1999 Sydney]] | [[1999 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships|1500 m freestyle]]}}
{{MedalBronze| [[1999 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships|1999 Sydney]] | [[1999 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships|200 m freestyle]]}}
{{MedalBronze| [[1999 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships|1999 Sydney]] | [[1999 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships|400 m freestyle]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Goodwill Games]]}}
{{MedalGold| [[1998 Goodwill Games|1998 New York]] | [[Swimming at the 1998 Goodwill Games|800 m freestyle]]}}
{{MedalBronze| [[1998 Goodwill Games|1998 New York]] | [[Swimming at the 1998 Goodwill Games|400 m freestyle]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Commonwealth Games]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[2006 Commonwealth Games|2006 Melbourne]]|[[Swimming at the 2006 Commonwealth Games|4×100 m free]]}}
{{MedalSilver|[[1998 Commonwealth Games|1998 Kuala Lumpur]]|[[Swimming at the 1998 Commonwealth Games – Men's 1500 metre freestyle|1500 m freestyle]]}}
{{MedalSilver|[[2002 Commonwealth Games|2002 Manchester]]|[[2002 Commonwealth Games results#Swimming|4×100 m free]]}}
{{MedalSilver|[[2006 Commonwealth Games|2006 Melbourne]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.melbourne2006.com.au/Schedule+and+Results/By+Sport/Aquatics%20Swimming |title=Swimming Schedule and Results |access-date=22 August 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070811124308/http://www.melbourne2006.com.au/Schedule%2Band%2BResults/By%2BSport/Aquatics%2BSwimming |archive-date=11 August 2007  }}</ref>|[[Swimming at the 2006 Commonwealth Games|100 freestyle]]}}
{{MedalBronze|[[2002 Commonwealth Games|2002 Manchester]]<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport3/commonwealthgames2002/bsp/statistics/results.stm |title=BBC Sport Commonwealth Games 2002 Statistics |access-date=29 August 2007 | work=BBC News}}</ref>|[[2002 Commonwealth Games results#Swimming|100 m freestyle]]}}
}}

'''Ryk Neethling''' [[Order of Ikhamanga|OIS]] (born 17 November 1977) is a South African businessman who rose to prominence as a three-time [[World Champion|World Aquatic Champion]] and four-time [[World Record]] breaking [[Swimming at the Summer Olympics|Olympic swimming]] champion, participating in four Olympics for South Africa from 1996-2008.<ref name=swimhistory>{{cite web|url=https://swimhistory.co.za/index.php/1992-onwards/ryk-neethling|title=Swim History, Ryk Neethling|website=swimhistory.co.za|access-date=20 February 2025}}</ref>  He won a gold medal in the 4x100 freestyle relay at the 2004 Athens Olympics, and is known as one of the most accomplished South African swimmers in history. He would later serve as the CEO of the [[Charlene, Princess of Monaco|Princess Charlene of Monaco]] Foundation South Africa, and found the Ryk Neethling Swimming Schools.<ref name=Olympedia/>

Born in [[Bloemfontein]], S.A. on 17 November 1977, he attended [[Grey College, Bloemfontein|Grey College]], and was coached by Simon Gray at the Seals Swim Club of Bloemfontein. In 1994, Ryk eclipsed the 1500m freestyle South African record by ten seconds, formerly set by his own coach Simon Gray in 1976. Around 18, he captured the 400 and 1500m freestyle competition at the 1995 South African swimming championships. During his time at Grey College, he gained national recognition as a swimmer, earning a place with the South African swimming team for the [[1996 Summer Olympics]] in [[Atlanta]].  He enrolled at the University of Arizona after the 1996 games.<ref name=swimhistory/>