View source for Lyndon Ferns

{{Short description|South African swimmer (born 1983)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}}
{{Use South African English|date=September 2012}}
{{Infobox swimmer
| name = Lyndon Ferns
| image = 
| imagesize = <!-- Only for images narrower than 220 pixels -->
| caption =
| fullname =
| nicknames =
| nationality = {{RSA}}
| strokes = Sprint Freestyle / Butterfly
| club = Ford Dealers Aquatics
| collegeteam = [[Arizona Wildcats]] (USA)
| coach      = [[Rick DeMont]]<br>(U. Arizona, Olympics)
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1983|9|24}}
| birth_place = [[Polokwane|Pietersburg]]<br>(now [[Polokwane]]), S.A.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| height = 6 ft 2 in
| weight = 198 lbs
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalSport | Men's [[swimming (sport)|swimming]]}}
{{MedalCountry |  {{RSA}} }}
{{MedalCompetition | [[Olympic Games]] }}
[[File:Olympic rings.svg|center|80px]]
{{MedalGold| [[2004 Summer Olympics|2004 Athens]] | [[Swimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay|4×100 m freestyle]]}} 
{{MedalCompetition|Commonwealth Games}}
{{MedalGold| [[2006 Commonwealth Games|2006 Melbourne]]|[[Swimming at the 2006 Commonwealth Games|4×100 m freestyle]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Pan Pacific Swimming Championships|Pan Pacific Championships]]}}
{{MedalBronze|[[2010 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships|2010 Irvine]]|4×100&nbsp;m freestyle}}
}}

'''Lyndon Ferns''' (born 24 September 1983 in [[Pietersburg|Pietersburg, South Africa]])<ref>{{cite web |url=http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/BIO/Athlete/6/8001866.shtml |title=Ferns' result page |website=Beijing2008.cn |publisher=[[The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080917111615/http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/BIO/Athlete/6/8001866.shtml |archive-date=17 September 2008 |access-date=30 June 2009}}</ref> is a retired Olympic gold-medalist and former [[List of world records in swimming|world record]] swimmer from [[South Africa]] who attended the University of Arizona. He swam for South Africa at the [[South Africa at the 2004 Summer Olympics|2004]] and [[South Africa at the 2008 Summer Olympics|2008 Olympics]].<ref name="SR/Olympics">{{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/fe/lyndon-ferns-1.html |title=Lyndon Ferns |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418083323/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/fe/lyndon-ferns-1.html |archive-date=18 April 2020 |access-date=30 June 2009}}</ref>

==University of Arizona==
He attended the [[University of Arizona]] from 2002-2006,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.arizonaathletics.com/sports/m-swim/mtt/ferns_lyndon00.html |title=Ferns' bio page |work=University of Arizona Athletics website |access-date=30 June 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090113153443/http://www.arizonaathletics.com/sports/m-swim/mtt/ferns_lyndon00.html |archive-date=13 January 2009}}</ref> where he competed and was trained and mentored by Hall of Fame Head Coach [[Frank Busch]] and former Olympian and sprint coach, [[Rick DeMont]], who also coached Ferns's South African team at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics. Overall, Ferns was a four time NCAA champion during his time at Arizona.  Lyndon completed his eligibility as a 24-time All-American, a PAC-10 champion, an NCAA record holder, 3-time relay national champion as well as national champion in the 100y butterfly. He had six top-five finishes at NCAA tournaments. 
While at UA, he completed a Bachelors of Science degree in Accounting.<ref name=UAHOF/><ref>"Swimming, Lyndon Ferns", ''Arizona Daily Star'', Tucson, Arizona, July 11, 2015, pg. B005</ref> 

Swimming for Arizona, Ferns set a school record of 45.89 seconds as an NCAA champion in the 100-meter butterfly. He was a was a member of the 400 freestyle, 400 medley and 800 freestyle NCAA Championship relay teams that helped lead Arizonas to a second-place finish at the NCAA Championships. While at Arizona, he earned eight individual First Team All- America honors and All- American honors in 15 relays.<ref name=UAHOF>{{cite web|url=https://arizonawildcats.com/news/2024/9/16/swimming-diving-four-former-wildcats-inducted-into-south-african-sports-hall-of-fame.aspx|title=University of Arizona Sports Hall of Fame, Four Former Wildcats Inducted into South African Sports Hall of Fame, Roland Schoeman|website=arizonawildcats.com|access-date=February 19, 2025}}</ref>

==2004 Athens, 2008 Beijing Olympics==
At the [[South Africa at the 2004 Summer Olympics|2004 Olympics]], he was a member of South Africa's [[Swimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay|Men's 4×100&nbsp;m freestyle relay]] that won the event in a [[World record progression 4 × 100 metres freestyle relay|world record]].  Ferns's 100-meter swim leg helped South Africa upset the United States and Russia in the 400 meter freestyle relay at the 2004 games, an historic upset over two teams that had dominated the event.<ref name=HOF>{{cite web|url=https://arizonawildcats.com/sports/2013/12/13/209341076.aspx|title=University of Arizona Sports Hall of Fame, Roland Schoeman|website=arizonawildcats.com|access-date=February 19, 2025}}</ref>  As their fastest swimmer, Ferns's University of Arizona team mate Roland Schoeman's opening leg in the 4x100 relay, opened up a lead that remained throughout the race defeating the teams from both the Netherlands and the United States by over a second.<ref name=Olympedia/><ref name="SR/Olympics"/> 

Lyndon also competed at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, where he set the African record in the 100m freestyle at 48.00, earning a sixth place in the finals. He also competed in the 100m butterfly, 4 × 100 m freestyle relay and 4 × 100 m medley relay at the Beijing Olympics.<ref name=Olympedia>{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/103419|title=Olympedia Biography Lyndon Ferns|website=olympedia.org|access-date=February 19, 2025}}</ref>

Three of the 2004 South African Olympic 4x100 gold medal freestyle relay team were a part of the relay that broke the record and won gold at the 4x100 meter freestyle at the [[Swimming at the 2006 Commonwealth Games|2006 Commonwealth Games]].<ref name="SR/Olympics"/>

===2007, 2009 World Championships===
During the 2007 World Championships held in Melbourne, Australia, Lyndon became the first man out of Africa to complete the 100m butterfly in under 52 seconds, touching the wall in 51.90 seconds and thereby breaking his own African record. He was also part of the 4 × 100 m freestyle and 4 × 100 m medley relay, both placing fourth.<ref name=Olympedia/>

In May 2009, it was announced that he was selected to participate with South Africa's team in the [[2009 World Aquatics Championships|2009 World Championships]]. At the World Championships, Lyndon became the first male athlete from Africa to complete the 100m freestyle in under 48 seconds, setting a new African record of 47.79 seconds. He is still the only man from Africa to have completed the 100m freestyle in a sub 48 second time.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sport24.co.za/Content/OtherSport/262/3166e3d75ecf47e5b68486785ef704f9//SA_swim_squad_announced |title=SA swim squad announced |website=sport24.com.za |date=12 May 2009 |access-date=30 June 2009}}</ref>

Lyndon later won a bronze medal in the 2010 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Irvine in the 4x100 meter freestyle relay in what would become a signature event for the sprinter.<ref name=Olympedia/><ref name="SR/Olympics"/>

He is the holder of the following records:
(Updated July 2014)
* [[List of African records in swimming|African records]]: 100&nbsp;m freestyle, 4×100&nbsp;m freestyle relay
* [[List of South African records in swimming|South African records]]: 100&nbsp;m freestyle, 4×100&nbsp;m Freestyle relay

In April 2011, he retired from competitive swimming, and continued to reside in South Africa.

===Honors===
In August, 2024, he was inducted into the South African Sports Hall of Fame, along with the three other swimmers who won the gold medal in the 4x100 meter freestyle relay at the 2004 Athens Olympics.<ref name=SASHOF>{{cite web|url=https://arizonawildcats.com/news/2024/9/16/swimming-diving-four-former-wildcats-inducted-into-south-african-sports-hall-of-fame.aspx|title=South Africa Sports Hall of Fame|website=arizonawildcats.com|access-date=20 February 2025}}</ref>

==Personal bests==
{| class="wikitable" |]
|-
! Event
! Time
! Date
|-
| 50 lcm Freestyle|| align=right |   22.22  || align=right | April 2008
|-
| 100 lcm Freestyle|| align=right |   47.79  || align=right | July 2009
|-
| 100 lcm Butterfly|| align=right |   51.69  || align=right | June 2009
|}

{| class="wikitable" |]
|-
! Event
! Time
! Date
|-
| 50 scm Freestyle|| align=right |   21.28  || align=right | July 2006
|-
| 50 scm Butterfly|| align=right |   22.83  || align=right | July 2006
|-
| 100 scm Freestyle|| align=right |   46.00  || align=right | October 2009
|-
| 100 scm Butterfly|| align=right |   50.17  || align=right | November 2009
|}

{| class="wikitable" |]
|-
! Event
! Time
! Date
|-
| 50 y Freestyle|| align=right |   19.22  || align=right | December 2003
|-
| 100 y Freestyle|| align=right |   42.34  || align=right | March 2005
|-
| 100 y Butterfly|| align=right |   45.89  || align=right | March 2006
|}

==Affiliations==
* TuksSport – [[University of Pretoria]], South Africa<ref name="SR/Olympics" />
* Northern Tigers
* University of Arizona, USA

==See also==
* [[List of Commonwealth Games medallists in swimming (men)]]
* [[List of Olympic medalists in swimming (men)]]
* [[World record progression 4 × 100 metres freestyle relay]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.sport24.co.za/OtherSport/Lyndon-Ferns-retires-20110408 Retirement news article Sport24]
* {{World Aquatics|1012644}}
* {{Olympedia}}
* {{Olympics.com profile|lyndon-ferns}}

{{Footer Olympic Champions 4x100 m Freestyle Relay Men}}
{{Footer Commonwealth Champions 4x100m Freestyle Men}}
{{Footer NCAA Division I men's swimming and diving championships – men's 4×50 m medley relay champions}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ferns, Lyndon}}
[[Category:1983 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Polokwane]]
[[Category:Arizona Wildcats men's swimmers]]
[[Category:South African expatriate swimmers in the United States]]
[[Category:Olympic swimmers for South Africa]]
[[Category:Swimmers at the 2004 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Swimmers at the 2008 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for South Africa]]
[[Category:Swimmers at the 2006 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:University of Pretoria alumni]]
[[Category:World record setters in swimming]]
[[Category:South African male freestyle swimmers]]
[[Category:South African people of British descent]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2004 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists for South Africa]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games swimmers for South Africa]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists in swimming]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists in swimming]]
[[Category:Medallists at the 2006 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:21st-century South African sportsmen]]