Tanja Scholz (born 29 June 1984) is a German Paralympic swimmer, who won the 150m medley SM4 event at the 2024 Summer Paralympics, and came second in the 50 m freestyle S4 event. She won three gold medals at each of the 2022 and 2023 World Para Swimming Championships, and a bronze medal at the 2024 World Para Swimming European Open Championships.
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| Born | 29 June 1984 Elmshorn, Schleswig-Holstein, West Germany | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years active | 2021–present | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Country | Germany | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Swimming | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Disability | Incomplete paraplegia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Disability class | S4, SM3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | Freestyle, backstroke | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | PSV Union Neumünster | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coached by | Kirsten Bruhn | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Paralympic finals | 2024 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World finals | 2022 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Regional finals | 2024 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Personal life
editScholz is from Elmshorn, Schleswig-Holstein, West Germany.[1] She has three children.[2] Scholz was diagnosed with paraplegia after a horse riding accident in June 2020, and has been wheelchair bound since.[1] At the time, she was told that she would not be able to swim due to the extent of her injuries.[3]
Career
editScholz started competing in competitive para swimming in January 2021;[1] prior to her accident, she had been a competitive able bodied swimmer.[3] She trains at PSV Union Neumünster, and is coached by Kirsten Bruhn.[2] Scholz was the top athlete at the six event 2022 Para Swimming World Series.[4] At the World Series event in Aberdeen, Scotland, she set the world record in the 100 metres freestyle S4 competition.[5]
Scholz won five medals at the 2022 World Para Swimming Championships. She won gold medals in the 50, 100 and 200 metre freestyle S4 events and won bronze medals in the 50 metre backstroke S4 and 150 metre medley SM3 competitions.[1] She competed in the 150 metres medley event 26 minutes after her 100 metres freestyle victory.[2]
At the 2023 World Para Swimming Championships, Scholz won the 50 metre freestyle S4, 100 metre freestyle S4 and 150 metre individual medley SM3 competitions.[6][7] She won the 100 metre freestyle and 150 metre medley events within 20 minutes of each other,[8] and also finished second in the final of the 5 metre breaststroke SB2 event.[6] At the 2024 World Para Swimming European Open Championships, Scholz came third in the 50 metre SB2 breaststroke event.[9]
At the 2024 Summer Paralympics, Scholz won the 150m medley SM4 event,[10] and came second in the 50 m freestyle S4 event.[11]
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Tanja Scholz feiert Titel-Hattrick bei Para-Schwimm-WM". Norddeutscher Rundfunk (in German). 18 June 2022. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
- ^ a b c "Elmshornerin Tanja Scholz ist Schwimm-weltmeistein". Hamburger Abendblatt (in German). 14 June 2022. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
- ^ a b "Mit Querschnittslähmung zu Weltrekorden". Deutschlandfunk (in German). 11 June 2022. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
- ^ "Colombia's Carlos Serrano, Tanja Scholz of Germany Win 2022 Citi Para Swimming World Series". Swimming World Magazine. 25 November 2022. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
- ^ "Scholz breaks women's S4 100m freestyle world record at Para Swimming World Series event in Aberdeen". Inside the Games. 17 February 2022. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
- ^ a b "Para-Schwimmen: Medaillen zum WM-Auftakt" (in German). Swim.de. 2 August 2023. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ "Tanja Scholz glänzt mit Doppel-Gold". ZDF (in German). 1 August 2023. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ "Manchester 2023: Scholz shoots to stardom". International Paralympic Committee. 1 August 2023. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
- ^ "Madeira 2024: Thirteen-year-olds Barlov, Winnifrith steal the show on day one". World Para Swimming. 22 April 2024. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
- ^ "Paris 2024: Great Britain, China on top as more record fall on day four". International Paralympic Committee. 1 September 2024. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
- ^ "Paris 2024: Barlaam clinches second gold in front of special audience". World Para Swimming. 6 September 2024. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
External links
edit- Tanja Scholz at the International Paralympic Committee
- Tanja Scholz at Team Deutschland Paralympics (in German)