biography
| sex:
| female
|
| lived:
| (1937– )
|
| biography:
| Swimmer, born in Balmain, Sydney, New South Wales, SE Australia. She is the only swimmer to take the same individual title at three consecutive Olympics, winning the 100 m freestyle in 1956, 1960, and 1964. She also won a gold medal in the 4 × 100 m freestyle relay in 1956, totalling eight Olympic medals, the most by an Australian. She took six Commonwealth Games gold medals, and set 27 world records. In 1962 she became the first woman to break the one-minute barrier for the 100 m. In 1964 she was banned by the Australian association for 10 years (later reduced to four) when she and some colleagues tried to take a souvenir flag from the emperor's palace in Tokyo after winning her third Olympic title. She was however named as 1964 Australian of the Year, and in 1988 was selected as Australia's greatest female athlete. She was elected as an Independent member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly (1988–91), representing Balmain. |
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