Part of a group of young visually impaired swimmers to have emerged as major medal contenders in the past two years is Dutch teenager Liesette Bruinsma.
With her double gold from the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games and an astonishing 18 world records broken since 2014, Bruinsma is one of the hottest properties in the women’s S11.
She has certainly put in the legwork, travelling around Europe to compete before arriving at the 2016 European Open Championships for her major international debut.
The hard work paid off and she left the competition with three titles and two more podium finishes.
Her path to Rio 2016 was indeed paved with gold and she bagged two Paralympic golds, beating more established names such as New Zealand’s Mary Fisher and Germany’s Daniela Schulte.
Photo Gallery
Results
| Unit | Date | Rank |
|---|
| Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women's 100 m Backstroke S11 | Heat 1 | 2016-09-09 | 7 | |
| Women's 400 m Freestyle S11 | Heat 2 | 2016-09-10 | 1 | |
| Women's 400 m Freestyle S11 | Final Round | 2016-09-10 | 1 | |
| Women's 50 m Freestyle S11 | Heat 3 | 2016-09-12 | 2 | |
| Women's 50 m Freestyle S11 | Final Round | 2016-09-12 | 3 | |
| Women's 100 m Breaststroke SB11 | Final Round | 2016-09-13 | 2 | |
| Women's 100 m Freestyle S11 | Heat 2 | 2016-09-15 | 1 | |
| Women's 100 m Freestyle S11 | Final Round | 2016-09-15 | 3 | |
| Women's 200 m Individual Medley SM11 | Heat 2 | 2016-09-16 | 1 | |
| Women's 200 m Individual Medley SM11 | Final Round | 2016-09-16 | 1 |
| Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women's 50 m Freestyle S11 | Final 1 | 2019-09-09 | 2 | |
| Women's 50 m Freestyle S11 | Heat 1 | 2019-09-09 | 2 | |
| Women's 100 m Breaststroke SB11 | Heat 2 | 2019-09-11 | 2 | |
| Women's 100 m Breaststroke SB11 | Final 1 | 2019-09-11 | 2 | |
| Women's 200 m Individual Medley SM11 | Final 1 | 2019-09-12 | 1 | |
| Women's 200 m Individual Medley SM11 | Heat 1 | 2019-09-12 | 1 | |
| Women's 100 m Freestyle S11 | Heat 2 | 2019-09-13 | 1 | |
| Women's 100 m Freestyle S11 | Final 1 | 2019-09-13 | 1 | |
| Women's 400 m Freestyle S11 | Final 1 | 2019-09-15 | 1 |
| Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women's 400 m Freestyle S11 | Heat 1 | 2021-08-26 | 1 | |
| Women's 400 m Freestyle S11 | Final | 2021-08-26 | 2 | |
| Women's 50 m Freestyle S11 | Heat 1 | 2021-08-27 | 2 | |
| Women's 50 m Freestyle S11 | Final | 2021-08-29 | 4 | |
| Women's 200 m Individual Medley SM11 | Final | 2021-08-30 | 5 | |
| Women's 200 m Individual Medley SM11 | Heat 2 | 2021-08-30 | 3 | |
| Women's 100 m Breaststroke SB11 | Heat 2 | 2021-09-01 | 2 | |
| Women's 100 m Breaststroke SB11 | Final | 2021-09-01 | 4 | |
| Women's 100 m Freestyle S11 | Heat 2 | 2021-09-03 | 1 | |
| Women's 100 m Freestyle S11 | Final | 2021-09-03 | 2 |
| Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women's 50 m Freestyle S11 | Heat 1 | 2022-06-12 | 2 | |
| Women's 50 m Freestyle S11 | Final 1 | 2022-06-12 | 2 | |
| Women's 100 m Freestyle S11 | Final 1 | 2022-06-16 | 2 | |
| Women's 100 m Freestyle S11 | Heat 2 | 2022-06-16 | 1 | |
| Women's 400 m Freestyle S11 | Heat 1 | 2022-06-18 | 2 | |
| Women's 400 m Freestyle S11 | Final 1 | 2022-06-18 | 2 |
| Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women's 400 m Freestyle S11 | Heat 2 | 2024-08-30 | 2 | |
| Women's 400 m Freestyle S11 | Final 1 | 2024-08-30 | 1 | |
| Women's 50 m Freestyle S11 | Final 1 | 2024-08-31 | 6 | |
| Women's 50 m Freestyle S11 | Heat 1 | 2024-08-31 | 1 | |
| Women's 200 m Individual Medley SM11 | Heat 2 | 2024-09-03 | 1 | |
| Women's 200 m Individual Medley SM11 | Final 1 | 2024-09-03 | 4 | |
| Women's 100 m Freestyle S11 | Heat 1 | 2024-09-07 | 1 | |
| Women's 100 m Freestyle S11 | Final 1 | 2024-09-07 | 2 |
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