Peak performance is meditation in motion.
Greg Louganis
Granted, Greg Louganis was an Olympic diver, not a swimmer, per se. However, his quip describes a concept many famous Australian Olympic swimmers express, albeit far more poetically. Many Australian Olympic swimmers often talk about being 'in the zone'; they too, are wholly focused on their challenge.
With 35 000km of coastline, swimming is a part of life for many Australians. The 1956 Melbourne Olympics helped turn the sport into a quintessentially Australian activity. Today, our nation boasts many fine swimmers, including this list of Australian Olympic swimmers. Have a look at their medal counts before reading all about them.
| Rank (by medal count) | Swimmer | Number of Olympic Medals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Emma McKeon | Gold: 6 Silver: 3 Bronze: 5 Total: 14 |
| 2 | Ian Thorpe | Gold: 5 Silver: 3 Bronze: 1 Total: 9 |
| 3 | Dawn Fraser | Gold: 4 Silver: 4 Bronze: 0 Total: 8 |
| 4 | Cate Campbell | Gold: 4 Silver: 1 Bronze: 3 Total: 8 |
| 5 | Susie O’Neill | Gold: 2 Silver: 4 Bronze: 2 Total: 8 |
| 6 | Libby Trickett | Gold: 4 Silver: 1 Bronze: 2 Total: 7 |
| 7 | Emily Seebohm | Gold: 3 Silver: 3 Bronze: 1 Total: 7 |
| 8 | Grant Hackett | Gold: 3 Silver: 3 Bronze: 1 Total: 7 |
| 9 | Murray Rose | Gold: 4 Silver: 1 Bronze: 1 Total: 6 |
| 10 | Shane Gould | Gold: 3 Silver: 1 Bronze: 1 Total: 5 |
| 11 | John Devitt | Gold: 2 Silver: 1 Bronze: 1 Total: 4 |
| 12 | Eamon Sullivan | Gold: 0 Silver: 2 Bronze: 1 Total: 3 |
Ian Thorpe
Ian Thorpe suffered from a chlorine allergy, which barred him from swimming lessons. He got over his allergy and started swimming competitively when he was seven years old. Soon, he acquired his Thorpedo nickname, thanks to his speed.
His progress led him to become - at age 14, the youngest Australian Olympic swimmer. Ian's total medal count, including Commonwealth Games and others: 37 Gold 9 Silver, 2 Bronze.
2000 Sydney Olympics: 2 Gold (4x100, 400, 4x200); 2 Silver (200m freestyle, 4x100m medley) 2004 Athens Olympics: Gold: (200, 400 freestyle); Silver (4x200 freestyle); Bronze (100m freestyle)
Emma McKeon
Emma comes from a family of swimmers. Her father, mother, uncle, and brother are all competitive swimmers. In fact, her mother is the only one to not have competed in the Olympics. That doesn't take away from her swimming career, which included performances at the Commonwealth Games.
Emma McKeon is one of Australia's most renowned Olympic swimmers, and her impressive medal record speaks for itself. Below, we highlight her achievements at the Olympics. Currently, her overall career medal tally stands at 34 gold, 21 silver, and 20 bronze. This includes medals won at the Commonwealth Games and various Championship events.
2016 Brazil Olympics: Gold (4x100 freestyle); 2 Silver (4x200 freestyle, 4x100 medley) Bronze (200m freestyle)
2020 Tokyo Olympic Games: 4 Gold (50m freestyle, 100m freestyle, 4x100 freestyle, 4x100 medley) 3 Bronze (100m butterfly, 4x200 freestyle, 4x100 mixed medley).
2024 Paris Olympic Games: Gold (4x100 freestyle), Silver (4x100 medley), Bronze (4x100 mixed medley).
How Much Do Australian Olympic Swimmers Get Paid?
Emma's staggering medal count leads many to wonder about the money that comes with those trophies. The wondering turns to jaw-dropping amazement when they learn the system for compensating Olympic athletes.
Unlike other high-profile, international contests - the World Cup or the tennis grand slams, the Olympic contest organisers do not pay the athletes. The country athletes represent in the Olympics do.
The Australian government decides the compensation based on the medal. The 2024 Paris Olympics pay plan broke into gold - $20 000; Silver - 15 000, and Bronze - $10 000. The Australian Olympic team does not receive compensation for competing, only athletes who medal do.
Some countries lavish compensation on their athletes: Singapore, Kazakhstan, and Hungary, to name just three. The rub cuts the other way too: New Zealand, Great Britain, and Sweden don't pay their Olympic athletes anything.
For athletes who don't get paid - or, whose prize money is little, falling back on other work is a must. Often, Olympic swimmers will give diving and swimming lessons. Or, they'll work as lifeguards, divers, and other water-related professions.
Grant Hackett
Grant ranks among the great Australian male swimmers, too. Around the time The Thorpedo began making his splash, Grant was already winning swimming gold. Hackett no longer swims competitively but, when he did, he specialised in distance swimming.
The 1 500m was his event of choice. Grant boasts a long career medal record. From 1997 to 2015 - the year of his last competition, he collected a staggering 58 medals.
He claimed the most in Gold - 36, followed by Silver (17) and Bronze (5). Admittedly, he had his best showings at the Commonwealth and Pan Pacific Championships.
2000 Sydney Olympics: Gold (1 500m freestyle, 4x200 freestyle)
2004 Athens Olympics: Gold (1 500m freestyle); 2 Silver (400m and 4x200 freestyle)
2008 Beijing Olympics: Silver (1 500m freestyle); Bronze (4x200 freestyle)
John Devitt
Long before people embraced swimming as a pastime, John was swimming competitively. He started when he was 10 years old, representing the schools he attended. His coach wanted his swimmers to train in warm water conditions, so John practised around the White Bay power station. His swimming successes likely led to the boom in Australian swimming.
Marine life - barnacles and other crustaceans, flourished in his practice area. To protect his feet, John wore sand shoes, as water shoes did not yet exist. His heavy, water-logged shoes worked his legs harder, making his kick more powerful.
His short career is the only reason for his low medal count: five Gold, one Silver, and one Bronze. He earned three of his Gold medals at the 1958 Commonwealth Games. He competed in two Olympic Games, and claimed Gold each time.
Dawn Fraser
Like John and Murray Rose (he's next!) Dawn belongs to the generation that inspired the nation to take up swimming.
However, unlike them, she won gold in the same swimming event across three consecutive Olympic Games. Only four other swimmers have ever done so, and she was the first. Her Commonwealth Games medal count is equally inspiring: 6 Gold, and 1 Silver.
1956 Melbourne Olympics: 2 Gold (4×100m freestyle, 100m freestyle)
1960 Rome Olympics: Gold (100m freestyle); 2 Silver (4×100m freestyle, 4×100m medley)
1964 Tokyo Olympics: Gold (100m freestyle); Silver (4×100m freestyle)
Murray Rose
This Australian Olympian is one of two on our list to have a swimming facility bear his name.
If you live in Double Bay, you too may practise your stroke at the Murray Rose Pool. It used to be Redleaf Pool; it's the facility he trained at as a boy.
From an early age, swimming coaches lauded Murray's great technique. At the time, he was among the youngest Australian swimmer at the Olympics, claiming his first Gold at just 17 years old. He was also unusual for his eating habits. His vegetarian/vegan diet led people to call him the Seaweed Streak.
1956 Melbourne Olympics: 3 Gold (400m freestyle, 1 500 m freestyle, 4×200m freestyle)
1960 Rome Olympics: Gold (400m freestyle) Silver (1 500 m freestyle) Bronze (4×200m freestyle) 1962 Perth Commonwealth Games: 4 Gold (440 yd freestyle, 1650 yd freestyle, 4×110 yd freestyle, 4×220 yd freestyle)
Cate Campbell
Australia boasts plenty of successful female swimmers; Cate adds a bit of magic to this illustrious list. She was born in Malawi in 1992 but came to us in 2001, and wasted no time getting into competitive swimming. By 2008, she was an Olympic swimmer Australian team member.
Her impressive medal record gives testament to her talent. Her 16-year career count comprises 39 medals: 24 Gold, eight Silver, and seven Bronze. She had hoped to make her last stand at the 2024 Paris Olympics; it would have been her fifth contest. She didn't make the cut, and so, retired with grace and style.
2008 Beijing Olympics: 2 Bronze (4×100m freestyle, 50m freestyle)
2012 London Olympics: Gold (4×100m freestyle)
2016 Brazil Olympics: Gold (4×100m freestyle) Silver (4×100m medley)
2020 Tokyo Olympics: 2 Gold (4×100m freestyle, 4×100m medley) Bronze (100m freestyle)
Libby Trickett
Talking about Australian swimmers Olympics records: Ian Thorpe is the only male swimmer on par with the women we've mentioned so far. Libby Trickett belongs to the trio of female Australian swimmers with 4 Olympic gold medals.
Libby retired between her last two Olympic contests. She announced her retirement in 2009 and then, returned to competitive swimming in 2010. Across her eight-year career, she accrued 41 medals, in total. They break into 24 Gold, nine Silver, and eight Bronze.
2004 Athens Olympics: 2 Gold (4×100m freestyle, 50m freestyle) Bronze (50m freestyle)
2008 Beijing Olympics: Gold (100m butterfly) Silver (100m freestyle) Bronze (4×100m freestyle) 2012 London Olympics: Gold (100m freestyle)
Shane Gould
No post about Australian swimmers would be complete without Shane Gould. For nearly a year - 12 December '71 to 1 September '72, she held every Freestyle world record, along with the 200m medley world record. She is the only competitive swimmer, male or female, to do so.
This Australian swimming sensation, then only 15 years old, suffered from the intense scrutiny and speculation. She quit competitive swimming after sweeping the medals table at the 1972 Munich Olympics.
1972 Munich Olympics: 3 Gold (200m freestyle, 400m freestyle, and 200m medley); Silver (800m freestyle); Bronze (100m freestyle)
Eamon Sullivan
Eamon's competitive swimming career was rather short, accommodating just one Olympic appearance. It's not his fault; he suffered recurring hip injuries that kept him out of the pool for most of his competitive time.
That makes his swimming feats all the more remarkable. For one, he broke the world 50m freestyle record in 2008, while competing in the NSW Open Championships.
He also established a new record for the 4x100 m freestyle relay while swimming for the West Coast Club. And, he remains the record holder for the Olympic 100m freestyle.
2008 Beijing Olympics: 2 Sliver (100m freestyle, 4x100m medley); Bronze (4x100m freestyle) Other medals - Championships and Commonwealth Games: 5 Gold, 2 Silver, 5 Bronze
Susie O’Neill
Australian swim fans call Ms O'Neill Madame Butterfly because she excelled at this difficult stroke. She also dominated in freestyle, racking up an astounding medal count. She has a total of 67 to her name: 24 Gold, 33 Silver, and 10 Bronze. From 1990 into 2000, she medalled in every international competition she entered.
1992 Barcelona Olympics: Bronze (200m butterfly)
1996 Atlanta Olympics: Gold (200m butterfly); Silver (4x100m medley); Bronze (4x200m freestyle) 2000 Sydney Olympics: Gold (200m freestyle); 3 Silver (200m butterfly, 4x200m freestyle, 4x100m medley)
Emily Seebohm
Like Ian Thorpe, Emily plunged into swimming superstardom at a young age. She was 14 when she claimed her first championship medal (2007), and never stopped winning them. Her tally stands at 58: 21 Gold, 23 Silver, and 14 Bronze.
As I was searching for swimming lessons near me, Emily's name kept cropping up. Small wonder, that. The Emily Seebohm Aquatic Centre is among Brisbane's finest swimming facilities.
2008 Beijing Olympics: Gold (4x100m medley)
2012 London Olympics: Gold (4x100m freestyle); Silver(4x100m medley, 100m backstroke)
2016 Brazil Olympics: Silver (4x100m medley)
2020 Tokyo Olympics: Gold (4x100m medley); Bronze (200m backstroke)
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Kieran Perkins 2 Gold 2 Silver, should be in there
Agree, how did they miss that!!!
Hi, you have left out Kieran Perkins from this list.
2 x Gold 1500m freestyle
1x Silver 400m. Freestyle
1 x silver 1500m freestyle
Hi Anthony! Thanks for spotting that! You’re right about Kieran Perkins – a major oversight on our part. We’ll update the article to include his impressive Olympic medal collection. Really appreciate your keen eye!
You omitted M.Wenden 2 gold 1 silver 1 bronze
Great spot! You’re absolutely right about M. Wenden, he definitely deserve a mention.