Marleen Veldhuis is a swimmer who has competed for the Netherlands. She competed at the 2004, 2008, and 2012 Summer Olympic Games.
Veldhuis was considered one of the top Dutch freestyle swimmers through the 2000s. At her first Olympics in 2004, she helped the Dutch women's team of Inge Dekker, Chantal Groot, and Inge de Bruijn edge out the Germans by 0.35 of a second for a bronze in the 4x100 metres freestyle relay. She also finished sixth with the Dutch women's team in the 4x100 metres medley relay by swimming through the freestyle leg. On the individual side, she missed the top eight finals of the sprint freestyle double (50 and 100), placing ninth in the 50 and eleventh in the 100.
Beijing 2008 marked the peak of Veldhuis' swimming career. There, the Dutch women's team of Dekker, Femke Heemskerk, and Ranomi Kromowidjojo handed Veldhuis her relay duties at the final exchange. As she dove into the pool, she cruised the field down the stretch to snatch the country's first freestyle relay title over the United States and Australia with a new Olympic record (3:33.76). Unlike in Athens, Veldhuis advanced from the semifinals in her sprint freestyle double to take the fifth spot in the finals of the 50 and sixth in the 100.
Veldhuis returned to her third Games in London four years later as one of the defending champions in the 4x100 metres freestyle relay. Though she and the Dutch women's team lost their title to the Australians, they came from behind to race against the Americans for a silver in 3:33.79. She closed out her Olympic career by claiming her only individual medal with a bronze in the 50 metres freestyle, trailing the winner and her teammate Kromowidjojo by 0.34 seconds.
Olympic Results[]
| Year | Event | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Women's 50m freestyle | 9th |
| Women's 100m freestyle | 11th | |
| Women's 4x100m freestyle relay | 
| |
| Women's 4x200m freestyle relay | 9th | |
| Women's 4x100m medley relay | 6th | |
| 2008 | Women's 50m freestyle | 5th |
| Women's 100m freestyle | 6th | |
| Women's 4x100m freestyle relay | 
| |
| 2012 | Women's 50m freestyle |
|
| Women's 4x100m freestyle relay | 
|
2004[]
| Discipline | Round | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 50 metres freestyle | Heats | 25.28 |
| Semifinal | 25.27 | |
| Final | Did not advance | |
| 100 metres freestyle | Heats | 55.81 |
| Semifinal | 55.32 | |
| Final | Did not advance | |
| 4x100 metres freestyle relay | Heats | 3:39.93 (54.61 split) |
| Final | 3:37.59 (54.11 split) | |
| 4x200 metres freestyle relay | Heats | 8:08.96 (2:02.08 split) |
| Final | Did not advance | |
| 4x100 metres medley relay | Heats | 4:08.72 (54.55 split) |
| Final | 4:07.36 (Reserve) |
2008[]
| Discipline | Round | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 metres freestyle | Heats | 24.38 | |
| Semifinal | 24.46 | ||
| Final | 24.26 | ||
| 100 metres freestyle | Heats | 53.76 | |
| Semifinal | 53.81 | ||
| Final | 54.21 | ||
| 4x100 metres freestyle relay | Heats | 3:37.61 (Reserve) |
|
| Final | 3:33.76 (52.58 split) |
OR |
2012[]
| Discipline | Round | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 50 metres freestyle | Heats | 24.57 |
| Semifinal | 24.50 | |
| Final | 24.39 | |
| 4x100 metres freestyle relay | Heats | 3:37.76 (54.73 split) |
| Final | 3:33.79 (53.80 split) |