William Diering

William Grant Diering (born 7 May 1986) is a South African swimmer, who specialized in breaststroke events.[1] He finished twelfth in the 200 m breaststroke at the 2008 Summer Olympics, and also set a new South African record (2:06.85) to earn a bronze medal at the FINA World Short Course Championships few months later in Manchester, England.[2]

William Diering
Personal information
Full nameWilliam Grant Diering
National team South Africa
Born (1986-05-07) 7 May 1986
Sandton, Gauteng, South Africa
Height1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)
Weight67 kg (148 lb)
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesBreaststroke
ClubTuksSport
Medal record
Men's swimming
Representing South Africa
World Championships (SC)
Bronze medal – third place 2008 Manchester200 m breaststroke
All-Africa Games
Silver medal – second place 2007 Algiers 200 m breaststroke

Diering competed for the South African swimming squad, alongside his teammate Neil Versfeld, in the men's 200 m breaststroke at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Leading up to the Games, he captured the men's 200 m breaststroke title at the South African Championships in Johannesburg with a new national record of 2:11.88 to assure his selection to the Olympic team under the FINA A-cut (2:13.70) and shave 1.72 seconds off the standard previously set by Terence Parkin in 2000.[3][4] Swimming in heat six, Diering threw down a new African record in 2:10.39 to grab the eighth seed for the semifinals, and then enjoyed his teammate Versfeld joining him to the roster by 0.11 seconds to round out the top four of their heat.[5][6] Followed by the next morning's semifinals, Diering missed the top eight final with a twelfth-place time in 2:10.21, and lost a spirited challenge for another African record feat to Versfeld (2:10.06) by just a small fraction of a second.[7]

Shortly after the Olympics, Diering edged out Tunisia's Oussama Mellouli by nearly two seconds to claim the 200 m breaststroke title at the African Swimming Championships in Johannesburg with a time of 2:16.00.[8]

References
  1. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "William Diering". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
  2. "World Short Course Championships: Great Britain's Kristopher Gilchrist Wins 200 Breast". Swimming World Magazine. 11 April 2008. Retrieved 7 April 2013.
  3. "South African Championships: William Diering, Lize-Mari Retief Break African Records". Swimming World Magazine. 3 April 2008. Retrieved 7 April 2013.
  4. Ballantyne, Tommy (7 April 2008). "Schoeman packs his bags". Post (South Africa). Retrieved 7 April 2013.
  5. Lohn, John (12 August 2008). "Olympics, Swimming: Olympic Record Tumbles Twice, Daniel Gyurta Paces Qualifying in 200 Breast". Swimming World Magazine. Archived from the original on 8 June 2013. Retrieved 7 April 2013.
  6. "Men's 200m Breaststroke Heat 6". Beijing 2008. NBC Olympics. Archived from the original on 21 August 2012. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
  7. "Men's 200m Breaststroke Semifinal 2". Beijing 2008. NBC Olympics. Archived from the original on 21 August 2012. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
  8. "African Championships: William Diering Claims 200 Breast Title". Swimming World Magazine. 4 December 2008. Retrieved 29 December 2012.


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