# Neil Versfeld

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{{Short description|South African swimmer (born 1985)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox swimmer
| name = Neil Versfeld
| image = <!-- Only free-content images are allowed for depicting living people -- see [WP:NONFREE](/source/WP%3ANONFREE). -->
| image_size = <!-- Only for images narrower than 220 pixels -->
| caption =  
| fullname = Neil Robert Versfeld
| nicknames =
| national_team = {{RSA}}
| strokes = [Breaststroke](/source/Breaststroke_swimming)
| club = Seals Swimming Club
| coach = [Jack Bauerle](/source/Jack_Bauerle) (U.S.)
| collegeteam = [University of Georgia](/source/Georgia_Bulldogs_swimming_and_diving) (U.S.)
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1985|3|29|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [Durban](/source/Durban), South Africa
| death_date = 
| death_place = 
| height = {{height|m=1.78|abbr=on}}
| weight = {{convert|76|kg|lb|0|abbr=on}}
| medaltemplates=
| show-medals = yes
| updated = 
}}

'''Neil Robert Versfeld''' (born March 29, 1985) is a South African swimmer, who specialized in breaststroke events.<ref>{{cite sports-reference|title = Neil Versfeld|url = https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ve/neil-versfeld-1.html|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200418052723/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ve/neil-versfeld-1.html|url-status = dead|archive-date = 18 April 2020|access-date = 29 December 2012}}</ref> He finished ninth with a superb South African record in the men's 200 m breaststroke at the [2008 Summer Olympics](/source/2008_Summer_Olympics), and has claimed multiple South African championship titles in the 50, 100, and 200 m breaststroke.

Versfield swam collegiately for the [Georgia Bulldogs](/source/Georgia_Bulldogs_swimming_and_diving) at the [University of Georgia](/source/University_of_Georgia) (UGA). As a UGA senior in 2009, he won an individual national championship in the 200-yard breaststroke at the NCAA Championships by swimming the fastest time in the history of the event (1:51.40). At UGA, Versfeld was a seven-time All-American and graduated as the team record-holder in the 100-yard breaststroke, 200-yard breaststroke, 200-yard medley relay and 400-yard medley relay.<ref name=UGAMenSwim0809Season>{{cite web |url= http://www.georgiadogs.com/sports/c-swim/spec-rel/08-09-season-review.html |title= UGA Swim and Dive Team 2007-2008 Season Review |publisher= UGA Athletics Department |accessdate= 2014-03-23 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140324032431/http://www.georgiadogs.com/sports/c-swim/spec-rel/08-09-season-review.html |archive-date= 2014-03-24 |url-status= dead }}</ref>

Versfeld competed for the South African swimming team in the [men's 200 m breaststroke](/source/Swimming_at_the_2008_Summer_Olympics_%E2%80%93_Men's_200_metre_breaststroke) at the [2008 Summer Olympics](/source/2008_Summer_Olympics) in [Beijing](/source/Beijing). He finished second behind [William Diering](/source/William_Diering) with a 2:12.33 at the South African Championships four months earlier in [Johannesburg](/source/Johannesburg) to assure his selection to the Olympic team under FINA A-standard (2:13.70).<ref>{{cite news|title=South African Championships: Women Down Two African Records|url=https://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/south-african-championships-women-down-two-african-records/|publisher=[Swimming World Magazine](/source/Swimming_World_Magazine)|date=3 April 2008|accessdate=7 April 2013}}</ref> Having entered the semifinals with the ninth-seeded time (2:10.50), Versfeld rebounded from his immediate defeat in the prelims to subdue a new African record in 2:10.06, but narrowly missed the top eight final by just 0.09 of a second. His ninth-place time also slashed 0.15 seconds off the continental mark, set by Diering in the initial half of the semifinal round.<ref>{{cite news|last=Lohn|first=John|title=Olympics, Swimming: Olympic Record Tumbles Twice, Daniel Gyurta Paces Qualifying in 200 Breast|url=http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/18785.asp|publisher=[Swimming World Magazine](/source/Swimming_World_Magazine)|date=12 August 2008|accessdate=7 April 2013|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130608175734/http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/18785.asp|archivedate=8 June 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Swimming: Men's 200m Breaststroke Semifinal 2|url=http://www.2008.nbcolympics.com/swimming/resultsandschedules/rsc=SWM032200/index.html|work=[Beijing 2008](/source/Beijing_2008)|publisher=[NBC Olympics](/source/NBC_Olympics)|accessdate=29 December 2012|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120821062423/http://www.2008.nbcolympics.com/swimming/resultsandschedules/rsc=SWM032200/index.html|archivedate=21 August 2012}}</ref>

At the [2009 FINA World Championships](/source/Swimming_at_the_2009_World_Aquatics_Championships) in Rome, Italy, Versfeld dipped under a 2:10 barrier to lower his South African record time to 2:09.61 in the semifinals of the [200 m breaststroke](/source/Swimming_at_the_2009_World_Aquatics_Championships_%E2%80%93_Men's_200_metre_breaststroke).<ref>{{cite news|title=Quiet day for SA swimmers in Rome|url=http://www.iol.co.za/sport/more-sport/quiet-day-for-sa-swimmers-in-rome-1.604701#.UN8KQG9lnXs|publisher=[Independent Online](/source/Independent_Online_(South_Africa))|location=[South Africa](/source/South_Africa)|date=30 July 2009|accessdate=29 December 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=2009 FINA World Championships (Rome, Italy) – Men's 200m Breaststroke Semifinals|url=http://www.omegatiming.com/File/Download?id=0001090B0040000000FFFFFFFFFFFF01|format=[PDF](/source/PDF)|publisher=Omega Timing|accessdate=11 February 2013}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Biography|Olympics}}
* [List of University of Georgia people](/source/List_of_University_of_Georgia_people)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.nmnathletics.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=8800&ATCLID=332346 Player Bio – Georgia Bulldogs]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20120824225316/http://www.2008.nbcolympics.com/athletes/athlete=64660/bio/index.html NBC Olympics Profile]

{{Footer NCAA Division I men's swimming and diving championships – men's 200 breaststroke champions}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Versfeld, Neil}}
Category:1985 births
Category:Living people
Category:Olympic swimmers for South Africa
Category:Swimmers at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Category:Commonwealth Games swimmers for South Africa
Category:Swimmers at the 2006 Commonwealth Games
Category:South African male breaststroke swimmers
Category:Swimmers from Durban
Category:Georgia Bulldogs men's swimmers
Category:South African expatriate swimmers in the United States
Category:African Games gold medalists for South Africa
Category:African Games silver medalists for South Africa
Category:African Games bronze medalists for South Africa
Category:Swimmers at the 2003 All-Africa Games
Category:21st-century South African sportsmen
Category:African Games bronze medalists in swimming
Category:African Games silver medalists in swimming
Category:African Games gold medalists in swimming

{{SouthAfrica-swimming-bio-stub}}

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Neil Versfeld](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Versfeld) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Versfeld?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.