Janine Pietsch

Janine Pietsch (born 30 June 1982 in Berlin) is a German backstroke swimmer. In the course of her career, she competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, won two gold medals on the short course at the 2006 FINA World Swimming Championships, and four European gold medals.

Career

2001–2005 Pietsch's first success on an international stage was at the 2001 European Short Course Swimming Championships in Antwerp, where she won one silver medal, in the 4x50m medley and three bronze medals, in the 50m backstroke, 100m backstroke, and freestyle relay. She would win another silver and two more bronze medals the next year in 2002. and the 100m backstroke. She won both gold medals by exactly a quarter of a second over second place. and 4x50m medley. In her last international success to date, at the 2007 short-course European championships she won gold in the 4x50m relay, silver in the 50m backstroke, and bronze in the 100m backstroke.

Semi-retirement and personal life In 2008, Pietsch was diagnosed with breast cancer, and did not compete at the 2008 Summer Olympics as a result. However, she has not ruled out trying to qualify for the 2012 London Olympics.