Libby Trickett
Libby Trickett came to prominence in both Australian and world swimming in 2003, winning her first national title in the 50-metre freestyle and making an auspicious international debut with a win in the 100-metre freestyle event in Indianapolis. Trickett then collected two bronze medals at the Fédération Internationale de Natation world championships in Barcelona.
At the Athens Olympic Games she failed to qualify for the final of the 100-metre freestyle. However, Trickett led her 4×100-metre freestyle relay team to a gold medal in a world-record 3 min 35.94 sec as well as earning an individual bronze in the 50-metre freestyle. After Athens, Trickett proceeded to win a total of 18 gold, 4 silver, and 2 bronze medals in five major international meets, twice lowering the 100-metre short-course world record and anchoring Australian 4×100-metre medley relay teams to short-course and long-course global marks.
In 2007 Trickett added five gold medals to her total at the FINA world championships. During the qualifying trials for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, she again captured the world record for the 100-metre freestyle with a time of 52.88 sec. Her performance at the Games garnered two individual medals, a gold for the 100-metre butterfly and a silver for the 100-metre freestyle, despite the fact that she came in several tenths of a second above her own record. Additionally, her freestyle finish to the 4×100-metre medley relay solidified a world record of 3 min 52.69 sec and allowed her team to claim the gold medal, while her 4 ×100-metre freestyle relay team won a bronze medal.
At the Athens Olympic Games she failed to qualify for the final of the 100-metre freestyle. However, Trickett led her 4×100-metre freestyle relay team to a gold medal in a world-record 3 min 35.94 sec as well as earning an individual bronze in the 50-metre freestyle. After Athens, Trickett proceeded to win a total of 18 gold, 4 silver, and 2 bronze medals in five major international meets, twice lowering the 100-metre short-course world record and anchoring Australian 4×100-metre medley relay teams to short-course and long-course global marks.
In 2007 Trickett added five gold medals to her total at the FINA world championships. During the qualifying trials for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, she again captured the world record for the 100-metre freestyle with a time of 52.88 sec. Her performance at the Games garnered two individual medals, a gold for the 100-metre butterfly and a silver for the 100-metre freestyle, despite the fact that she came in several tenths of a second above her own record. Additionally, her freestyle finish to the 4×100-metre medley relay solidified a world record of 3 min 52.69 sec and allowed her team to claim the gold medal, while her 4 ×100-metre freestyle relay team won a bronze medal.
