Katja Dedekind

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Katja Dedekind
140416 - Katja Dedekind Rio media pic - 3b.JPG
Personal information
Full nameKatja Dedekind
Nickname(s)Kitty-Kat
NationalityAustralian
Born (2001-08-17) 17 August 2001 (age 20)
Durban, South Africa
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesBackstroke and Freestyle
ClassificationsS13
ClubUSC Spartans
CoachNathan Doyle
Medal record
Women's Paralympic swimming
Representing  Australia
Paralympics
Bronze medal – third place 2016 Rio de Janeiro 100 m backstroke S13
Bronze medal – third place 2020 Tokyo 100 m backstroke S13
Bronze medal – third place 2020 Tokyo 400 m freestyle S13

Katja Dedekind (born 17 August 2001) is an Australian Paralympic vision-impaired swimmer and goalball player. She won a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games and two bronze medals at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games.[1][2][3]

Personal life[]

Dedekind was born 17 August 2001 in Durban, South Africa.[4] She has a twin brother.[4] From congenital cataracts and amblyopia, she is blind in the right eye and has limited vision in the left eye.[5]

Previously from Kenmore, Brisbane,[5] Dedekind now lives on the Sunshine Coast having graduated from Matthew Flinders Anglican College, Buderim, in 2019.[6][7]

In March 2018, Dedekind had the honour of being a Queen's Baton Relay runner as one of 3500 Australians for the XXI Commonwealth Games.[5]

Dedekind's motto is "If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you".[8]

Sporting career[]

Dedekind competes in swimming and goalball. In swimming, she is classified as S13.

Dedekind took up goalball in 2012 after attending a 'come and try' day. At the 2012, Australian Goalball Championships in Melbourne, she was awarded the title 'Best Defensive Junior Player'[4] She was a member of the winning team at the 2013 Australian Invitational Cup in Sydney.[8]

Dedekind took up swimming at an early age with her twin brother, but did not start competing until 2012.[4] At the 2015 Swimming Queensland Sprint Championships, she was awarded the 'Swimmer of the Meet' award for swimmers with a disability.[4] In 2015, she won three gold and five silver medals at the 2015 SSA Pacific School Games. At 2016 Australian Swimming Championships, she won the bronze medal in the women's 200 m freestyle and finished fifth women's 50 m backstroke and women's 50 m butterfly.[4] She is a member of the UQ Swim Club and was coached by David Heyden.[4][9]

In 2016, Dedekind was selected to represent Australia at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games.[10] She competed in four events and achieved one podium finish. She won a bronze medal in the women's 100 m backstroke S13. She achieved seventh in 400 m freestyle S13.[11] but didn't progress to the finals in 50 m freestyle S13,[12] 100 m freestyle S13 and 100 m freestyle S13.[13]

In August 2018 at the Pan Pacific Para Swimming Championships in Cairns, Queensland, just before her seventeenth birthday, Dedekind took gold with her fastest competitive time for the 100 m backstroke.[14] She also achieved bronze in the women’s 200 m individual medley for the SM12/13 classification, and silver in the 400 m freestyle S13.

She competed at the 2019 World Para Swimming Championships in London in four events but did not medal.[15]

Dedekind is a member of the Australian Dolphins swim team. She was coached by Nathan Doyle while preparing for the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo.[6][16] At the games, she won bronze medals in the Women's 100 m backstroke S13 and Women's 400 m freestyle S13.[17][18]

Recognition[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Australian Paralympic Swimming Team announced". Australian Paralympic Committee News, 1 August 2016. Archived from the original on 29 August 2016. Retrieved 1 August 2016.
  2. ^ "Katja Dedekind". Rio Paralympics Official site. Archived from the original on 23 September 2016. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
  3. ^ "Paralympics Australia Names Powerful Para-Swimming Team For Tokyo". Paralympics Australia. 16 June 2021. Retrieved 17 June 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. ^ a b c d e f g "Katja Dedekind". Australian Paralympic Committee website. Retrieved 1 August 2016.
  5. ^ a b c O’Malley, Brendan (21 November 2017). "An inspiring young swimmer will carry the Queen's baton in the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games". Courier-Mail (Brisbane). Retrieved 24 August 2018.
  6. ^ a b "Get to know Katja Dedekind". Swimming Australia. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
  7. ^ "Six Flinders Sports Stars wear the Green and Gold to represent Australia". Matthew Flinders Anglican College. 28 November 2019. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  8. ^ a b "Katja Dedekind-Goalball". Sporting Dreams website. Retrieved 1 August 2016.
  9. ^ "True Story Tuesday: Katja Dedekind & Dave Heyden". YouTube. Retrieved 1 August 2016.
  10. ^ "Swimming (Athletes)". Athletes Selected for Rio. Australian Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
  11. ^ "Katja Dedekind". Rio Official Results. Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 23 September 2016. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
  12. ^ "Katja Dedekind". Rio Official Results. Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 2 October 2016. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
  13. ^ "Katja Dedekind". Rio Official Results. Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 23 September 2016. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
  14. ^ "Cairns: Katja later – Dedekind and Dolphins deliver more gold for Australia". Swimming Australia. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
  15. ^ "Katja Dedekind". Swimming Australia. Retrieved 22 June 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  16. ^ Cumming, Stuart (3 August 2018). "Teen targets Tokyo success in crucial build-up swim". Susnshine Coast Daily. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
  17. ^ "Paralympics Australia Names Powerful Para-Swimming Team For Tokyo". Paralympics Australia. 16 June 2021. Retrieved 20 June 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  18. ^ "Swimming - DEDEKIND Katja - Tokyo 2020 Paralympics". Tokyo2020.org. Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Retrieved 26 August 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  19. ^ "2016 Annual Awards winners". Sporting Wheelies and Disabled Association website. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  20. ^ "Paralympic medallist is USC's top athlete for 2021". University of Sunshine Coast News. 24 November 2021. Retrieved 25 November 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

External links[]

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