Mark Foster (swimmer)

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Mark Foster after his victory in the 50 metres freestyle in the 2004 European Short Course Championships

Mark Foster (born May 12, 1970 in Billericay, Essex, England) is a former British swimmer, specialising in butterfly and freestyle at 50 metres.

He is a specialist short course (25 metre pool) swimmer. In terms of medals and longevity (1986-2006), Foster is amongst the most successful British swimmers of all-time.

Mark Foster was educated at Alleyn Court prep school in Westcliff on Sea, Millfield School, and Southend High School for boys where he excelled in athletics, football and tennis. First selected for the British team in 1985, Foster made steady progress in a discipline traditionally associated with slightly older athletes.

His breakthrough came in 1990 when he won his first individual international medal - bronze - in the Commonwealth Games in Auckland. He finished the 50 metres freestyle with a time of 23.16 seconds. He had previously won bronze as part of the 100 metre freestyle relay in the Edinburgh games four years previous, but cites the 1990 medal as his first great sporting moment.

Success followed rapidly, and in the next few years Foster broke the World Short Course freestyle record four times, the World Short Course butterfly record twice, and once setting the World Long Course butterfly record (in 1996) with a time of 24.07 seconds.

Despite success at Commonwealth, European and World championship level, Olympic titles eluded him, and he has never medalled. Some have suggested that he has never quite achieved his full potential, arguing his maverick approach to training and preparation cost him a higher world ranking.

In 2004, Foster was to face the disappointment of not being selected for the Olympic Games. At the British Olympic Trials, he won the 50 free in 22.49 seconds, well under the Olympic qualifying standard but seven hundredths of a second below the standard National Team Director Bill Sweetenham had set for inclusion in the British Olympic Team. Foster has openly criticised Sweetenham's management style and has trained outwith the British team's auspices.

Nonetheless he was to respond to his omission from the Olympic squad with a stunning gold in the World Short Course Championships in Indianapolis later that year. In the 50 metre freestyle he touched in 21.58 seconds, ahead of Stefan Nystrand of Sweden.

Although Mark announced his retirement from swimming after the European short course championships in April 2006 at the age of 35, he still occasionally competes at invitational meets.

He was also on a special Olympic medal winners version of Jungle Run. The team collected the most monkey statues ever, getting 3 minutes out of a possible 3 minutes and 20 seconds. The team walked out of the temple with about 35 seconds to spare. The other members of the team were Steve Backley and Iwan Thomas.

His tally includes:

10 Gold, 6 Silver and 6 Bronze Medals at European Short-Course championships, 6 Gold, 3 Silver and 1 Bronze Medal at World Short-Course Championships, and 2 long-course silver medals (one European, 1 World Championships). He also won 2 Gold and 4 Bronze Medals at Commonwealth level (Long-Course);