Danyon Loader

Danyon Loader
Personal information
Full nameDanyon Joseph Loader
Born (1975-04-21) 21 April 1975
Timaru, New Zealand
Height188 cm (6 ft 2 in)
Weight84 kg (185 lb)
Sport
CountryNew Zealand
SportSwimming
Event(s)Freestyle, butterfly
Medal record
Men's swimming
Representing  New Zealand
Olympic Games
1996 Atlanta200 m freestyle
1996 Atlanta400 m freestyle
1992 Barcelona200 m butterfly
World Championships
1994 Rome200 m butterfly
1994 Rome200 m freestyle
1994 Rome400 m freestyle
Pan Pacifics
1993 Kobe200 m butterfly
1995 Atlanta200 m freestyle
1995 Atlanta400 m freestyle
1993 Kobe100 m butterfly
1993 Kobe4x200 m freestyle
1995 Atlanta4x100 m freestyle
1995 Atlanta4x200 m freestyle
1997 Fukuoka4x100 m freestyle
1997 Fukuoka4x200 m freestyle
Commonwealth Games
1994 Victoria200 m butterfly
1994 Victoria400 m freestyle
1994 Victoria4x100 m freestyle
1994 Victoria4x200 m freestyle
1994 Victoria200 m freestyle
1998 Kuala Lumpur4x200 m freestyle

Danyon Joseph Loader ONZM (born 21 April 1975) is an Olympic champion, former world record holder swimmer from New Zealand, based in Dunedin. He remains the national record holder in the 400 metre freestyle short course.

He swam for New Zealand at two Summer Olympics (1992, 1996) and three Commonwealth Games (1990, 1994 and 1998).

At the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, he garnered a silver medal in the 200 metre butterfly. In 1996 in Atlanta, Loader won two gold medals: in the 200 and 400 metre freestyle. He set world records in the short course 200 butterfly and 400 freestyle. In the 1997 New Year Honours, Loader was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to swimming, and he was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 2003.

In December 2012, Loader starred in an online video campaign supporting same-sex marriage, alongside New Zealand singers Anika Moa, Hollie Smith, and Boh Runga, as well as past Governor-General Dame Catherine Tizard.