Shane Gould

Shane Elizabeth Gould, MBE (born 23 November 1956) is an Australian former swimmer who won three gold medals, a silver and bronze in 1972 Summer Olympics.

Biography

Born in Sydney, Australia (on the first day of competition of the 1956 Melbourne Olympics), Gould moved to Fiji with her family at the age of 18 months. By the age of six, she was a competent swimmer. She was trained by leading coaches Forbes and Ursula Carlile and their assistant Tom Green.

At the 1972 Summer Olympics, in Munich, Gould won three gold medals, setting a world record in each race. She also won a bronze and a silver medal.

At the age of 16, she retired from swimming.

She is the only person, male or female, to hold every world freestyle record from 100 m to 1500 m simultaneously, and the first female swimmer ever to win three Olympic gold medals in world record time.

She was one of the bearers of the Olympic Torch at the opening ceremony of the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. She carried the Olympic Torch at the stadium, as one of the runners for the final segment, before the lighting of the Olympic Flame.

She now divides her time between Launceston, Tasmania and Sydney, and still swims, in Masters competitions.

Other achievements

*1971 Best Sportswoman in the World
*1971 ABC Sportswoman of the Year
*1972 ABC Sportswoman of the Year
*1972 Australian of the Year
*1981 Order of the British Empire (MBE)
*1994 Olympic Order
*1995 Legend of Australian Sport
*2000 Australian Sports Medal
*2001 Centenary Medal

ee also

* World record progression 200m medley

External links

* [http://www.shanegould.com.au/ Official website]
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