William Diering

{{Short description|South African swimmer (born 1986)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}} {{Infobox swimmer | name = William Diering | image =  | image_size =  | caption = | fullname = William Grant Diering | nicknames = | national_team = {{RSA}} | strokes = Breaststroke | club = TuksSport | coach = | collegeteam = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1986|5|7|df=yes}} | birth_place = Sandton, Gauteng, South Africa | death_date = | death_place = | height = {{convert|1.82|m|ftin|0|abbr=on}} | weight = {{convert|67|kg|lb|0|abbr=on}} | medaltemplates= {{MedalSport | Men's swimming}} {{MedalCountry| South Africa}} {{MedalCompetition|World Championships (SC)}} {{MedalBronze| 2008 Manchester|200 m breaststroke }} {{MedalCompetition|All-Africa Games}} {{MedalSilver| 2007 Algiers | 200 m breaststroke}} | show-medals = yes | updated = }}

'''William Grant Diering''' (born 7 May 1986) is a South African swimmer, who specialized in breaststroke events.<ref>{{cite sports-reference|title = William Diering|url = https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/di/william-diering-1.html|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200418053356/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/di/william-diering-1.html|url-status = dead|archive-date = 18 April 2020|access-date = 29 December 2012}}</ref> He finished twelfth in the 200 m breaststroke at the 2008 Summer Olympics, and also set a new South African record (2:06.85) to earn a bronze medal at the FINA World Short Course Championships few months later in Manchester, England.<ref>{{cite news|title=World Short Course Championships: Great Britain's Kristopher Gilchrist Wins 200 Breast|url=http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/17810.asp|publisher=Swimming World Magazine|date=11 April 2008|accessdate=7 April 2013}}</ref>

Diering competed for the South African swimming squad, alongside his teammate Neil Versfeld, in the men's 200 m breaststroke at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Leading up to the Games, he captured the men's 200 m breaststroke title at the South African Championships in Johannesburg with a new national record of 2:11.88 to assure his selection to the Olympic team under the FINA A-cut (2:13.70) and shave 1.72 seconds off the standard previously set by Terence Parkin in 2000.<ref>{{cite news|title=South African Championships: William Diering, Lize-Mari Retief Break African Records|url=http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/17701.asp|publisher=Swimming World Magazine|date=3 April 2008|accessdate=7 April 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Ballantyne|first=Tommy|title=Schoeman packs his bags|url=http://www.thepost.co.za/schoeman-packs-his-bags-1.587407|publisher=Post (South Africa)|date=7 April 2008|accessdate=7 April 2013}}</ref> Swimming in heat six, Diering threw down a new African record in 2:10.39 to grab the eighth seed for the semifinals, and then enjoyed his teammate Versfeld joining him to the roster by 0.11 seconds to round out the top four of their heat.<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|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=Men's 200m Breaststroke Heat 6 |url=http://www.2008.nbcolympics.com/swimming/resultsandschedules/rsc=SWM032900/index.html |work=Beijing 2008 |publisher=NBC Olympics |accessdate=29 December 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120821003419/http://www.2008.nbcolympics.com/swimming/resultsandschedules/rsc%3DSWM032900/index.html |archivedate=21 August 2012 }}</ref> Followed by the next morning's semifinals, Diering missed the top eight final with a twelfth-place time in 2:10.21, and lost a spirited challenge for another African record feat to Versfeld (2:10.06) by just a small fraction of a second.<ref>{{cite web|title=Men's 200m Breaststroke Semifinal 2|url=http://www.2008.nbcolympics.com/swimming/resultsandschedules/rsc=SWM032200/index.html|work=Beijing 2008|publisher=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>

Shortly after the Olympics, Diering edged out Tunisia's Oussama Mellouli by nearly two seconds to claim the 200 m breaststroke title at the African Swimming Championships in Johannesburg with a time of 2:16.00.<ref>{{cite news|title=African Championships: William Diering Claims 200 Breast Title|url=http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/19735.asp|publisher=Swimming World Magazine|date=4 December 2008|accessdate=29 December 2012}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20120825031848/http://www.2008.nbcolympics.com/athletes/athlete=64569/bio/index.html NBC 2008 Olympics profile]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Diering, William}} Category:1986 births Category:Living people Category:People from Sandton Category:Olympic swimmers for South Africa Category:Swimmers at the 2008 Summer Olympics Category:South African male breaststroke swimmers Category:Medalists at the FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m) Category:African Games silver medalists for South Africa Category:Swimmers at the 2007 All-Africa Games Category:Swimmers from Gauteng Category:21st-century South African sportsmen Category:African Games silver medalists in swimming