Roman Andreyevich Sludnov (Russian: Роман Андреевич Слуднов, born 24 February 1980) is a breaststroke swimmer from Russia. He was the first person to swim the long course 100 m breaststroke under one minute. In 2000 he held world records in the long course 100 m and short course 100 m and 200 m. At the 2000 Olympics, he won a bronze medal in the 100 m event.[1]
Biography
Sludnov has a younger brother Artyom (born 1981) who won a national title in breaststroke in 1999. His parents, Natalia Roshchina and Andrei Sludnov, are elite swimming coaches and were taking both sons to their training sessions since early age. Sludnov learned to swim aged four, started training at seven, won his first title aged fourteen, and by 1997 was selected to the national team.[2][3]
In the 2000s Sludnov's brothers were studying in the United States. Roman graduated from the University of Missouri in 2009 with a degree in finances and continues to study and train in Orlando, Florida.[2][3]
Career
Sludnov was the first person to break the one minute barrier for the long course 100 m breaststroke, clocking a 59.97 at the Russian National Championships and World Championship Trials in Moscow on 29 June 2001. The day before, he beat the world record at 1:00.26. Less than a month later, Sludnov clocked 59.94 at the 2001 World Championships. He competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics, but could not match his bronze medal-winning performance from Sydney and finished in sixth place.[1]
