View source for Erik Vendt

{{short description|American competition swimmer (born 1981)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox swimmer
| name           = Erik Vendt
| image          = <!-- Only free-content images are allowed for depicting living people -- see [[WP:NONFREE]]. -->
| image_size     = <!-- Only for images narrower than 220 pixels -->
| alt            =
| caption        = 
| full_name      = Erik K. Vendt
| nicknames      = 
| national_team  = {{USA}}
| birth_date     = {{Birth date and age|1981|1|9|mf=y}}
| birth_place    = [[Wellesley, Massachusetts]], U.S.
| death_date     = 
| death_place    = 
| height         = 5 ft 11 in
| weight         = 165 lb
| strokes        = [[Freestyle swimming|Freestyle]], [[medley swimming|individual medley]]
| club           = Ocean State Squids<br>Club Wolverine
| collegeteam    = [[USC Trojans|University of Southern California]]
| medaltemplates = 
{{MedalSport | Men's swimming}}
{{MedalCountry | the United States}}
{{MedalCompetition | [[Swimming at the Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]}}
[[File:Olympic rings.svg|center|80px]]
{{MedalGold | [[2008 Summer Olympics|2008 Beijing]] | [[Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay|4×200 m freestyle]]}}
{{MedalSilver | [[2000 Summer Olympics|2000 Sydney]] | [[Swimming at the 2000 Summer Olympics – Men's 400 metre individual medley|400 m medley]]}}
{{MedalSilver | [[2004 Summer Olympics|2004 Athens]] | [[Swimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Men's 400 metre individual medley|400 m medley]]}}
{{MedalCompetition | [[FINA World Aquatics Championships|World Championships (LC)]]}}
{{MedalSilver | [[2001 World Aquatics Championships|2001 Fukuoka]] | [[Swimming at the 2001 World Aquatics Championships|400 m medley]]}}
{{MedalBronze | [[2003 World Aquatics Championships|2003 Barcelona]] | [[Swimming at the 2003 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 1500 metre freestyle|1500 freestyle]]}}
{{MedalCompetition | [[FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m)|World Championships (SC)]]}}
{{MedalBronze | [[2002 FINA Short Course World Championships|2002 Moscow]] | 4×200 m freestyle}}
{{MedalCompetition | [[Pan Pacific Swimming Championships|Pan Pacific Championships]]}}
{{MedalSilver | [[2002 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships|2002 Yokohama]] | [[2002 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Men's 400 metre individual medley|400 m medley]]}}
{{MedalSilver | 2002 Yokohama | [[2002 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Men's 1500 metre freestyle|1500 m freestyle]]}}
{{MedalSilver | [[2006 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships|2006 Victoria]] | [[2006 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships – Men's 1500 metre freestyle|1500 m freestyle]]}}
}}

'''Erik K. Vendt''' (born January 9, 1981) is an American former competition [[swimming (sport)|swimmer]]. He won a silver medal at the [[2000 Summer Olympics]] and the [[2004 Summer Olympics]] in the 400-meter individual medley. At the [[2008 Summer Olympics]], Vendt won a gold medal as a member of the U.S. 4×200-meter freestyle relay team, swimming in the preliminary heats of the relay event.

==Career==

Erik Vendt attended [[Boston College High School]] in Dorchester, Massachusetts. While in high school, Vendt swam for the Ocean State Squids club team under head coach Joshua Stern. While swimming for the Boston College high school swim team, Vendt was able to set a state record as a senior in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 4:24.35 (1999), which is still the record today. Vendt then attended the [[University of Southern California]] and was a five-time NCAA title winner, 13-time All-American and seven-time Pac-10 title winner as a Trojan. In 2002, Vendt was named the [[NCAA]] ''Swimmer of the Year'' after winning the 1,650-yard freestyle and 400-yard individual medley, and placing second in the 500-yard freestyle.

At 2000 Olympic Trials, Vendt broke the 16-year-old American record in 1,500-meter freestyle, becoming the first American to break 15 minutes with a time of 14:59.11.

In 2001, Vendt won silver in the 400-meter individual medley at the [[2001 World Aquatics Championships|2001 World Championships]] in Fukuoka, Japan.

At the [[2004 Summer Olympics]], Vendt won silver at the 400-meter individual medley, losing only to [[Michael Phelps]] who set a world record, in Athens, Greece.<ref name="SR">{{cite Sports-Reference}}</ref>

After the 2004 Olympics, Vendt retired for almost a year before returning to competition. Vendt returned to train at Club Wolverine under [[Bob Bowman (coach)|Bob Bowman]], alongside [[Klete Keller]], [[Michael Phelps]] and [[Peter Vanderkaay]].

On February 18, 2008, Erik Vendt posted a 1,500-meter freestyle time of 14:47.59 while at the Missouri Grand Prix.  In the process he set a U.S. Open record, set previously by [[Grant Hackett]] in 2003.

On May 15, 2008 in California, Vendt posted a 14:46.78, then 2008's fastest in the 1,500-meter, thereby appearing to set up a likely duel in the [[2008 Summer Olympics|Beijing Olympics]] 1,500-meter final with [[Grant Hackett]], who posted a 14:48.65 at the Australian Olympic Trials in March and is the two-time defending Olympic champion in the event.  But it was not to be, as Vendt finished fourth in the 1,500-meter final of the U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha on July 6.

Vendt won a gold medal in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing by swimming in the preliminary heats of the 4×200-meter freestyle relay.<ref name="SR" />

After the 2008 Olympics concluded, Vendt relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area and worked for a financial company in San Francisco. Vendt currently resides in Boston MA, and works for the wearable sports optimization company, WHOOP.

==See also==
* [[List of Olympic medalists in swimming (men)]]
* [[List of University of Southern California people]]
* [[List of World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming (men)]]

==References==
<References />

==External links==
* {{World Aquatics}}
* {{Olympics.com profile|org_archive=20190715091841}}
* {{Olympedia}}
* {{USA Swimming|new_id=erik-vendt|archive=20210602224318}}
* {{Team USA|new_id=erik-vendt|old_id=VE/Erik-Vendt|archive=20230318101558}}

{{Footer USA Swimming 2000 Summer Olympics}}
{{Footer USA Swimming 2004 Summer Olympics}}
{{Footer USA Swimming 2008 Summer Olympics}}
{{Olympic Champions Swimming 4x200 m Men Freestyle Relay}}
{{Footer NCAA Division I men's swimming and diving championships – men's 400 y individual medley champions}}
{{Pac-12 Conference Swimmer of the Year navbox}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vendt, Erik}}
[[Category:1981 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American male freestyle swimmers]]
[[Category:American male medley swimmers]]
[[Category:Boston College High School alumni]]
[[Category:Medalists at the FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m)]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2008 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2004 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for the United States in swimming]]
[[Category:Olympic silver medalists for the United States in swimming]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Wellesley, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Swimmers at the 2000 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Swimmers at the 2004 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Swimmers at the 2008 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:USC Trojans men's swimmers]]
[[Category:World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2000 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Goodwill Games medalists in swimming]]
[[Category:Competitors at the 1998 Goodwill Games]]
[[Category:21st-century American sportsmen]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]