The Algerian Olympic Committee took the great initiative to honour the South African, Penny Heyns, double olympic champion in 1996 and also the best breaststroker of the 20th century.
Heyns is one of the monument of African sport with incomparable performances: 14 world records and 44 African rec-ords in SC and LC.
She is the only Women in the history of the Olympic Games to have won both the 100m and 200m breaststroke events; it was in Atlanta in 1996. She is also still the only breaststroke swimmer male or female , in the history of swim-ming to break world records in all three possible distanc-es ,the 50m,100m and 200m, as well as only swimmer to hold 5 out of possible 6 breaststroke world records in 25m and 50m pool.
She was the first Olympic Gold Medalist for RSA in 44 years (1952-1996). Heyns is also the first African swimmer to reach finals in a FINA LC World Championships in Rome 1994 on 100m breaststroke.
Penny Heyns studied at the University of Nebraska from 1993-1996.
During that time, she was on the podiums 5 times on the 100 and 200 yards in breaststroke and most importantly won the prestigious NCAA University title on 100 yards breaststroke in 1996.
In addition to her 3 Olympic podiums : 2 gold and 1 bronze medals in 1996-2000, she has won an impressive number of titles and medals at the 1994 Commonwealth Games, Summer University Games 1995-1997, Pan Pacific Champion-ships 1995-1997-1999, FINA SC World Championships in 1999, Goodwill Games 1998, African Games 1995-1999 and FINA SC World Cup 1998-1999 and 1999-2000. A to-tal of 34 gold, 9 silver and 2 bronze medals.
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