RICE AND MITCHAM HEADLINE PATH OF CHAMPIONS INDUCTEES
SYDNEY, November 3: Beijing Olympic gold medallists Stephanie Rice and Matthew Mitcham and the world's fastest swimmer Eamon Sullivan will be among a "who's who" of the Australian aquatic world who will be inducted into the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre's Path of Champions this Friday night (6:30pm, November 7). - Ian Hanson reports
Rice will be joined by her gold medal winning 4x200m freestyle relay team mates Kylie Palmer, Bronte Barratt and Linda MacKenzie for a glittering poolside Gala Dinner induction ceremony to be hosted by Nicole Livingstone.
Mitcham, who trains at Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre under NSWIS coach Chava Sobrino, became only Australia's third Olympic diving gold medallist when he scored the highest dive in history to win gold in the 10 metre platform.
Rice capped an amazing year which saw her break two world records at the Telstra Olympic Trials at Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre before she stunned the world again with her two individual gold medals, again in world record time.
She then joined Palmer, Barratt and Mackenzie for one of the magical moments of the Games when the four Australian girls triumphed in world record time - winning the event for the first time since its addition in 1996. 
Sullivan started the world record ball rolling when he smashed the 50 metres freestyle world mark at the NSW Championships in February before twice lowering the 50 metre mark again as it rained records at the Australian Championships.
He was in world record form again in Beijing when he lowered Frenchman Alain Bernard's world mark in the 100 metres freestyle.
Other swimmers who will attend their inductions will be Beijing silver medallists and 2007 FINA World Champions Brenton Rickard and Andrew Lauterstein as well as 2005 FINA World Champions Danni Miatke and Jade Edmistone and 2007 FINA World relay champion Shayne Reese.
Water Polo's four-time Olympian Peter Montgomery and current Sharks triple Olympian Gavin Woods will also be inducted, joining water polo stars Andrew Kerr, Charles Turner and Debbie Watson and the 1986 and 2000 Women's Teams.
All will be present to receive their plaques and join such luminaries as Andrew "Boy" Charlton, Dawn Fraser, Murray Rose, Shane Gould, Kieren Perkins, Susie O'Neill and Ian Thorpe - who are amongst over 150 names that adorn the walls of the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre.
Others to be inducted include retired Australian Swim team captain Grant Hackett and Beijing Olympic golden girls Leisel Jones, Libby Trickett and Jessicah Schipper and medley relay gold medallist Emily Seebohm as well as Jodie Henry, Alice Mills, Melanie Schlanger, Sophie Edington, Giaan Rooney and Matt Welsh.
Trickett, Edington and Seebohm were all part of the record run in March with Trickett setting new world marks in the 50 and 100m freestyle - becoming the first woman to "officially" break 53 seconds for 100m freestyle.
She and Jones won their first individual gold medals in Beijing, Trickett in the 100m butterfly and Jones in the 100m breaststroke before teaming with Schipper and Seebohm to win gold in the 4x100m medley relay.
Hackett, first inducted for his world championship win in the 1500m in 1998 and his Olympic victories in 2000 and 2004 will have his plaque updated for his three world championship gold medals and 800m freestyle world record from the 2005 World Championships in Montreal.
The Path of Champions has been a major attraction at the forecourt of the Aquatic Centre - regarded as one of finest and fastest pools anywhere in the world.
2008 SYDNEY OLYMPIC PARK AQUATIC CENTRE
PATH OF CHAMPIONS INDUCTEES
Swimming Water Polo 
Stephanie Rice Peter Montgomery
Eamon Sullivan Gavin Woods
Kylie Palmer
Bronte Barratt Diving
Linda MacKenzie Matthew Mitcham
Andrew Lauterstein
Brenton Rickard
Eamon Sullivan
Grant Hackett 
Matt Welsh
Leisel Jones
Libby Trickett
Emily Seebohm
Sophie Edington
Danni Miatke
Giaan Rooney
Jade Edmistone 
Shayne Reese
Jodie Henry
Melanie Schlanger
Alice Mills