Editing Andrew Bree

{{short description|Irish swimmer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}
{{Infobox swimmer|
| name=Andrew Bree
| image= 
| imagesize= 
| caption = 
| fullname = Andrew Patrick Bree
| nationality = Irish
| strokes = [[breaststroke swimming|Breaststroke]] 
| club = Ards/[[Tennessee Volunteers|Tennessee]]
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1981|3|16}}
| birth_place = [[Helen's Bay|Helen's Bay, County Down]], [[Northern Ireland]]
| death_date =
| death_place =
| height = 6 ft 6inches
| weight = 209 lb
| medaltemplates=
{{MedalSport | [[swimming (sport)|swimming]]}}
{{MedalCountry | {{IRL}} }}
{{MedalCompetition | [[European Short Course Swimming Championships|European Championships - Short Course]]}}
{{MedalSilver | [[European Short Course Swimming Championships 2003|2003 Dublin]] | 200 m breaststroke}}
}}

'''Andrew Patrick Bree''' (born 16 March 1981) is a [[breaststroke]] [[swimmer]] from Helen's Bay, [[County Down, Northern Ireland]]. He is a two-time Olympian, having swum at the 2000 and 2008 Olympics for Ireland. He also represented Northern Ireland four times at the Commonwealths and placed fifth twice in the 200m breaststroke. Andrew attended the University of Tennessee.

He became the first Northern Irish person to win a medal at the [[European Short Course Swimming Championships]] when he finished second in the 200&nbsp;m breaststroke at the [[European Short Course Swimming Championships 2003|2003 Championships]] at the National Aquatic Centre in [[Dublin|Dublin, Ireland]].<ref>[http://www.rte.ie/sport/2003/1214/swimming01.html Bree wins European silver at National Aquatic Centre] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041102172316/http://www.rte.ie/sport/2003/1214/swimming01.html |date=2 November 2004 }}, RTÉ Sport, published 14 December 2003; retrieved 1 June 2009.</ref> His home club is Ards, but as of 2008 he trains in the United States at the [[University of Tennessee]].

After swimming at the [[Swimming at the 2000 Summer Olympics|2000 Olympics]] in [[Sydney]];<ref>[http://www.rte.ie/sport/2000/0919/irisholympics4.html Olympics: Bree sets PB for 200m Breaststroke] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010517144419/http://www.rte.ie/sport/2000/0919/irisholympics4.html |date=17 May 2001 }}, RTÉ Sport; published 19 September 2000; retrieved 1 June 2009.</ref> He failed to qualify for the [[2004 Summer Olympics]] in Athens.<ref>[http://www.rte.ie/sport/2004/0627/breea.html Bree fails in Olympic bid] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041205035438/http://www.rte.ie/sport/2004/0627/breea.html |date=5 December 2004 }}, RTÉ Sport, published 27 June 2004; retrieved 1 June 2009.</ref> However, he qualified for the [[2006 Commonwealth Games]] in [[Melbourne]], Australia, where he equaled the 200&nbsp;m LC breaststroke record and placed fifth.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/commonwealth_games/results/4783206.stm 2006 Commonwealth Games Results: Swimming: 100 breaststroke], bbc.co.uk; published 18 March 2006.</ref>

In the months leading up to the 2008 Olympics he tested positive at a drug test. Bree claimed that he had used a nasal spray and did not know it contained banned substances. The results of the drug test were later overturned and he was allowed swim at the [[Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics|Beijing Olympics]].<ref>[http://www.rte.ie/sport/2008/0601/drivetimesport.html Andrew Bree interview with RTÉ Radio 1]{{dead link|date=October 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}; original airdate 1 June 2008; retrieved 14 March 2015.</ref>

==Beijing 2008 Olympics==
Bree qualified for the 2008 Summer Olympics at the 2008 US National Swimming Championships in Indiana by swimming a new personal best time and then-[[List of Irish records in swimming|Irish record]] of 2:13.14 in the 200&nbsp;m breaststroke. At the British Swimming Championships in June 2008 he swam the 100&nbsp;m [[breaststroke]] in a time of 1:01.83 which allowed him to swim the 100&nbsp;m breaststroke at the Olympics also. He was also entered in the heats of the 200 metres individual medley but scratched from the heats.<ref name="Beijing08">[https://archive.today/20130217212700/http://www.rte.ie/sport/olympics/2008/0813/breea.html Bree breaks Irish record in 200m], RTÉ Sport, published 13 August 2008; retrieved 1 June 2009.</ref>

In the 200&nbsp;m breaststroke heats he won his heat in a time of 2.10.91, breaking his own Irish record by over 2 seconds, and then lowering it again in semi-finals to 2:10.16.<ref name="Beijing08"/> He is also Irish record holder in the 100&nbsp;m breaststroke (1:01.78) and the 200&nbsp;m individual medley (2:04.43).

==Media==
In 2024, Bree was an analyst on the [[2024 Olympics]] [[Swimming at the 2024 Summer Olympics|swimming coverage]] on [[RTÉ Sport]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.rte.ie/sport/paris-2024/2024/0730/1462703-wiffens-perfect-race-on-the-biggest-stage/|title=Wiffen's 'perfect race' on the biggest stage|date=30 July 2024|work=RTE Sport|accessdate=6 August 2024}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links==
*{{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/br/andrew-bree-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417172348/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/br/andrew-bree-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2020-04-17 |title=Andrew Bree}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bree, Andrew}}
[[Category:1981 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Male swimmers from Northern Ireland]]
[[Category:British male breaststroke swimmers]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games competitors for Northern Ireland]]
[[Category:Olympic swimmers for Ireland]]
[[Category:Swimmers at the 2000 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Swimmers at the 2008 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Swimmers at the 2006 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Swimmers from County Down]]
[[Category:Irish male breaststroke swimmers]]
[[Category:21st-century sportsmen from Northern Ireland]]