For a 20-year period, Dutch backstroke swimmers held all the World backstroke records between Rie Mastenbroek, Nina Senff, Cor Kint and Iet van Feggelen in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s.
Van Feggelen reached her swimming prime following the Olympic Games in 1936. In 1938 and 1939, she set eight individual World Records in backstroke distances from 100 yards to 400 meters.
In 1947, she toured the United States with Hall of Fame teammate Nel van Vliet. During this time, she discovered synchronized swimming. Upon her return home, she started the first synchronized swimming team in Holland and subsequently in Europe.
Holland’s Jan Armbrust followed Iet’s Dutch synchro success with his own team a few years later, eventually becoming very active in the international synchronized swimming scene. During this time, Iet’s brother, Rudy, was playing water polo on the Dutch National Team and won the bronze medal at the 1948 London Olympic Games.
The Dutch Swimming Federation selected her as a coach for the Olympic swimming teams in 1964 and 1968.