Susie O’Neill OAM 

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One of Australia’s most successful swimmers ever, Susie O’Neill holds a record 35 Australian titles, eight Olympic medals and a string of victories at international level. At one point she was Australia’s only female world record holder, after breaking Mary T Meagher’s 19-year-old record in the 200m butterfly.

The first Australian female swimming Olympic gold medallist since 1980, Susie is also the first Australian female ever to win the 200m butterfly.

After narrowly missing selection as a fourteen year old for the 1988 Seoul Olympics, Susie’s career took off at the 1990 Commonwealth games with gold and silver medals.

Incredibly, Susie never came home without a medal from any international competition, a streak stretching from 1990 to 2000.

Susie came of age at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, a gold, silver and bronze medal; she was Australia’s most outstanding Olympic performer since Shane Gould in 1972.

In September 1998 Susie was brilliant at the Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur where she won a record eight medals including six gold.  Susie won ten gold medals at Commonwealth Games, the most ever for an Australian while her six gold in KL is a record for the most gold won at a single Commonwealth Games.

In August of 1999 Susie competed at the Pan Pacific Championships at Sydney’s Olympic venue.  She won six medals including two gold in the 200m butterfly and 200m freestyle.

At Sydney 2000 Susie affirmed herself as one of Australia’s all time greats.

One gold and three silver, Susie has eight Olympic medals, equalling Dawn Fraser’s Australian record of the biggest medal aggregate.

At the closing of the Games, Susie was officially appointed by the IOC as one of a number of new delegates who are recent Olympians.

With nothing left to prove in the pool on the international stage, Susie retired from competitive swimming and as a member of the IOC set about instilling some of her champion qualities into the Olympic movement.

After becoming a Mum for the first time in mid 04, Susie had to revaluate her commitments. As a result she resigned from her position on the IOC to spend more time at home. In November 2005, Susie had her second child William –a brother to her daughter Alix.

She now juggles her role as a full-time mum with sponsor, charity and media commitments. Susie also enjoys keeping fit and healthy by doing swimming, boxing and pilates each week.

Fact File

D.O.B.:            2 August 1973

Home:             Brisbane

Olympic Results:

2000 Sydney

200m Freestyle                    Gold

200m Butterfly                       Silver

4 x 100m Medley Relay       Silver

4 x 200m Freestyle Relay  Silver

1996 Atlanta

200m Butterfly                       Gold

4 x 100m Medley Relay       Silver

4 x 200m Freestyle Relay  Bronze

200m Freestyle                    Fourth

100m Freestyle                    Fifth

100m Butterfly                      Fifth

1992 Barcelona

200m Butterfly                      Bronze

World Championships Results:

1998

200m Butterfly                      Gold

4 x 100m Medley Relay      Silver

4 x 200m Freestyle              Bronze

4 x 100m Freestyle              Bronze

100m Butterfly                      Fifth

200m Freestyle                    Sixth

Honours:

·       200m Butterfly Long Course World Record – 2000

·       200m Butterfly Short Course World Record – 1999

·       Australian Female Athlete of the Year – 1996 & 1998

·       Order Of Australia – 1997

·       AAF World Trophy – 1996

·       Australian Swimmer of the Year – 1995 & 1996

·       Female Olympian of the Year – 1996

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