Tamara Virgi Costache (born 23 July 1970) is an Olympic and former world record-holding

freestyle Freestyle may refer to: Brands * Reebok Freestyle, a women's athletic shoe * Ford Freestyle, an SUV automobile * Coca-Cola Freestyle, a vending machine * ICD Freestyle, a paintball marker * Abbott FreeStyle, a blood glucose monitor by Abbott La ...

swimmer Swimming is an individual or team racing sport that requires the use of one's entire body to move through water. The sport takes place in pools or open water (e.g., in a sea or lake). Competitive swimming is one of the most popular Olympic ...

from Romania. She swam for Romania at the 1988 Olympics. Costache may be considered the earliest pioneer of specialised 50 freestyle sprinting for women. She first set the

world record A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organization ...

for the 50 metre freestyle when competing at the Romanian National Championships in Bucharest on 16 July 1986. Her time was 25.50 seconds, set in a preliminary heat. Costache competed at the

1986 World Aquatics Championships The 1986 World Aquatics Championships took place in M86 Swimming Center in Madrid, Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (L ...

, winning the gold medal in the 50 metre freestyle on 23 August in a world record time of 25.28 seconds. As of February 2018, this time is still the Romanian Record in the event. Her achievements at the

1988 Summer Olympics The 1988 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad () and commonly known as Seoul 1988 ( ko, 서울 1988, Seoul Cheon gubaek palsip-pal), was an international multi-sport event held from 17 September to 2 October ...

two years later were less successful. Although qualifying for the final of the 50 metre freestyle, she could manage no better than sixth place in a time of 25.80 seconds, 0.52 seconds slower than her personal best. She competed in the

100 metre freestyle The 100 metre freestyle is often considered to be the highlight (Blue Ribbon event) of the sport of swimming, like 100 metres in the sport of Athletics. The first swimmer to break the one-minute barrier (long course) was Johnny Weissmuller, in 1 ...

in Seoul also, but did no better than 8th place in the B Final with a time of 57.11 seconds. Her preliminary time was slightly better at 56.79 seconds.

References

1970 births Living people Romanian female freestyle swimmers Swimmers at the 1988 Summer Olympics World record setters in swimming World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming European Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming Olympic swimmers of Romania {{Romania-swimming-bio-stub

See also

References