Franziska van Almsick (German pronunciation: [fʁanˈt͡sɪska fɔn ˈalmsɪk]; born 5 April 1978) is a German swimmer. She won her first Olympic medals in 1992 at the Barcelona Olympic Games aged 14. Her career began at the SC Dynamo Berlin. She has the distinction of having the most career Olympic medals, ten, without ever winning a gold medal. She ended her career at the Athens Olympic Games in 2004. In 1993, she was named by Swimming World magazine as the Female World Swimmer of the Year. She has two sons, born in 2006 and 2013. The family's residence is Heidelberg.