Four-time Olympic Gold medallist Libby Trickett to be inducted into Sport Australia Hall of Fame

  

Swimming Australia, October 13, 2016: Triple Olympian and four-time Olympic Gold medallist Libby Trickett will tonight be inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame at the 32^nd annual Gala Awards dinner in Melbourne.

In a career that spanned more than a decade at the top of the sport the bubbly and always smiling Trickett was a force to be reckoned with in the pool. With a total of 17 international gold medals from the Olympic Games, World Championships and Commonwealth Games, Trickett retired from the sport as one of the most decorated female swimmers of the modern era.

Since making her first Australian senior team in 2002, Trickett soon became a leading member of the Australian Dolphins Swim team and in 2003 she became the first Australian woman to break the 25-second barrierin the 50m freestyle before winning the first of many international medals with two bronze at the world championships in Barcelona.

At the Athens Olympic Games in 2004 she joined Alice Mills, and Sport Australia Hall of Fame members Petria Thomas and Jodie Henry in setting a new world record to win Australia’s first 4x100m freestyle title in 48 years. Then from 2005 to 2007 she won a total of 13 gold medals at the 2005 World Championships in Montreal, the 2006 Commonwealth Games and 2007 World Championships, both in Melbourne.

In 2008 Trickett won her first individual gold at the Beijing Olympic Games in the 100m butterfly and then struck gold with fellow teammates Emily Seebohm, Leisel Jones and Jessicah Schipper to win gold in the 4x100m medley relay.

After a brief retirement in 2009, Trickett made a comeback and successfully qualified for her third Olympic Games in London 2012 where she won gold as a heat swimmer in the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay.

Speaking to the Sport Australia Hall of Fame, Trickett said she felt the Olympic gold medals were the achievements that stood out, although breaking barriers was also nice… that and racing Michael Phelps.

“It’s really hard to go past Olympic gold medals – I think as swimmers that’s the pinnacle of our sport and is proved at every single Olympic year they are not that easy to come by so to do that both within relays and also as an individual is something I’m incredibly proud of.”

“Getting the opportunity to break some barriers in terms of records and times was nice. I had that opportunity a couple of times in both the 50 freestyle and 100 freestyle. Everyone would prefer an Olympic gold medal or world championship gold medal as they’re the things that stand the test of time but certainly the opportunity to have a bit of fun and know you were the fastest in the world  - ever – is fun.”

“In terms of the most fun I ever had racing was the semi-final of the 100m freestyle at the Australian titles in 2004 where I broke my first world record that was a big thrill for me and probably the most fun.  Racing Michael Phelps in 2007 and going unofficially under 53 seconds that was also really fun. I did it again, officially, but to be the first women to break 53 seconds was awesome and to do it against Michael Phelps was a real pleasure.”

Following the induction of Priya Cooper and Leisel Jones at last years’ ceremony, Trickett will join an elite group of swimmers in the Hall of Fame.

FULL LIST OF SWIMMERS INDUCTED INTO SAHOF

Tonight will also see ‘The Don Award’ winner announced; for the moment that inspired a nation, with Olympic gold medallist from the men’s 100m freestyle Kyle Chalmers in the mix.

For full information about the Sport Australia Hall of Fame Awards night, visit their website here: http://www.sahof.org.au/