| Rank | Event | Year | Location | Result |
| Olympic Games | ||||
| 1 | 50m Freestyle | 2008 | Beijing, CHN | 24.06 |
| 1 | 100m Freestyle | 2008 | Beijing, CHN | 53.12 |
| 3 | 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay | 2000 | Sydney, NSW, AUS | 7:58.64 |
| 4 | 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay | 2004 | Athens, GRE | 3:37.94 |
| 4 | 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay | 2000 | Sydney, NSW, AUS | |
| 5 | 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay | 2008 | Beijing, CHN | 3:36.85 |
| Heats | 4 x 100m Medley Relay | 2008 | Beijing, CHN | 4:02.53 |
| World Championships | ||||
| 1 | 50m Freestyle | 2009 | Rome, ITA | 23.73 |
| 1 | 100m Freestyle | 2009 | Rome, ITA | 52.07 |
| 2 | 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay | 2009 | Rome, ITA | 3:31.83 |
| 2 | 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay | 2007 | Melbourne, VIC, AUS | 7:53.82 |
| 3 | 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay | 2011 | Shanghai, CHN | 3:36.05 |
| 3 | 4 x 100m Medley Relay | 2009 | Rome, ITA | 3:55.79 |
| 3 | 100m Freestyle | 2007 | Melbourne, VIC, AUS | 53.74 |
| Heats | 50m Freestyle | 2011 | Shanghai, CHN | DNS |
| Heats | 100m Freestyle | 2011 | Shanghai, CHN | 54.86 |
| European Championships | ||||
| 1 | 50m Freestyle | 2012 | Debrecen, HUN | 24.37 |
| 1 | 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay | 2012 | Debrecen, HUN | 3:37.98 |
| 1 | 4 x 100m Medley Relay | 2012 | Debrecen, HUN | 3:58.43 |
| 2 | 100m Freestyle | 2012 | Debrecen, HUN | 54.15 |
Hobbies
Reading, sleeping and listening to music. (NOC 2004)
Occupation
Student
Education
Environmental Engineering - University of Applied Sciences, Berlin, GER
Family
Partner is German swimmer Paul Biedermann
Language(s) spoken
German
Club name
SG Neukolln eV Berlin, Berlin, GER
Coach
Norbert Warnatzsch (GER) (britta-steffen.com, 14 Jul 2011)
Position and style
Freestyle (swimrankings.net, 11 Dec 2006)
Injuries
She suffered from several health problems in 2010, including shoulder problems and a sinus inflammation. She missed the 2010 European Aquatic Championships in Budapest because of bronchitis. All year she was unable to train 10 days in a row at any point of the year. (faz.net, 03 Aug 2010; FINA Aquatics World Magazine, 23 Oct 2010)
A bout of flu forced her to miss the 2006 European Short Course Championships in Helsinki, Finland. (1asport, 04 Dec 2006)
In October 2006 she broke two fingers during a training camp. (Eurosport, 23 Nov 2006)
She sustained a foot injury at the Olympic Games in Athens in 2004. (britta-steffen.com, 14 Jul 2011)
Additional information
Start of sporting career
She first swam at age five and in 1990 started swimming at the SSV PCK 90 club in Schwedt. (schwimmwelt.de, 05 May 2001, Super Illu, 01 Nov 2006)
Reason for taking up this sport
At the age of five, she used to hang around the pool and was desperate to get into the water. After being given her first swimsuit she learnt to swim within four weeks. (Super Illu, 17 Aug 2006)
Ambitions
To compete at the 2012 London Olympic Games. (bild.de, 29 Jan 2011)
Training
She does additional training in the gym under weightlifting coach Eberhard Deutscher. (bz-berlin.de, 28 May 2011)
Hero
Russia's multiple world and Olympic Games champion swimmer Alexander Popov. (Super Illu, 17 Aug 2006)
Superstitions / Rituals
During competition she wears a ring that her two brothers gave her. (Super Illu, 17 Aug 2006)
Awards
Named by the German Swimming Federation as Swimmer of the Year for 2006. (Schwimmen Aktuell, 02 Feb 2007)
In 2008 she was named the Athlete of the Year and the Swimmer of the Year. She was also decorated with the annual German audience and media award Goldene Henne. (britta-steffen.com, 14 Jul 2011)
General
BOYFRIEND BIEDERMANN
She has been dating German swimmer Paul Biedermann since 2009. (FINA Aquatics World Magazine, 14 Aug 2011)
SHOCK WITHDRAWAL
She pulled out of the 2011 FINA World Championships after struggling in the women's 100m freestyle heats. The double world and Olympic champion qualified last for the semi-finals in 54.86sec, nearly two seconds off her 2009 world record. "I gave everything - I had no more to give. I can't explain it. I was in great shape and very optimistic. I'm in good health. I would give you answers if I had them." Her coach Norbert Warnatzsch said she would not do any more starts at the championships. (smh.com.au, 28 Jul 2011)
OLYMPIC GOLD WITH EYES CLOSED
She says she swam the first 50 metres of the 100m freestyle final at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing with her eyes closed to avoid being distracted by her opponents. She came from behind to beat Lisbeth Trickett of Australia and win gold. (ihavenet.com, 28 Aug 2008)
COMEBACK
After the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, personal problems almost forced her to quit the sport. Her coach tried to convince her to continue but she took a year off and sought the help of a psychologist. The psychologist told her to separate between the athlete and the person and that bad results didn't mean that she was a bad person. She went back into the pool in August 2005, won the 50m and 100m freestyle at the German National Championships and made a phenomenal appearance at the 2006 European Championships where she won four gold medals and set three world records. (Stern, 01 Nov 2006)
SKIN PROTECTION
She says that spending four hours or more in the water each day dries out and damages her skin, so she uses paraffin oil to protect it when in the water. "With the oil applied to my skin, water cannot penetrate it as easily and also flows over it more freely."After swimming she uses plant oils like borage, thistle and evening primrose oil to 'restore the skin's equilibrium'. (hvbg.de, 16 Mar 2007)
Previous Olympics
Beijing 2008, Athens 2004, Sydney 2000
