Shane Gould

Shane Elizabeth Gould
circa 1972
Personal information
Surname:	Shane Gould
Nation:	Australia
Swimming style (s) :	Freestyle, layers
Birthday:	November 23, 1956
Place of birth:	Sydney , New South Wales
Size:	1.71 m
Weight:	59 kg
Medal table

Shane Elizabeth Gould AM , MBE (born November 23, 1956 in Sydney ) is a former Australian swimmer .

As a 14-year-old Gould set the world record in the 100 m freestyle in 58.9 seconds, and as a 15-year-old she was the most successful swimmer at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich . She was considered the female counterpart to the American swimmer Mark Spitz and won gold medals in the 200 m and 400 m freestyle, as well as over 200 m individual medley in world record times. She also won the silver medal in the 800 m freestyle and the bronze medal in the 100 m freestyle. The Australian teenager swam into the hearts of the Munich audience.

Shane Gould is to this day the only female swimmer who simultaneously held the world records on all freestyle courses from 100 m to 1500 m. In total, she swam 13 world records between 1971 and 1973. She started her international career at the age of 13 and ended her career after the Munich Olympics at the age of just 16. In 1977 she was inducted into the international swimming pool 's hall of fame .

At the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney she was one of six outstanding women in Australian sports history, alongside Betty Cuthbert , Raelene Boyle , Dawn Fraser , Shirley Strickland de la Hunty and Debbie Flintoff-King , who carried the torch with the Olympic flame through the round of the Olympic Stadium before Cathy Freeman lit the flame.

The asteroid (25058) Shanegould was named after her.

Autobiography

• Tumble Turns , HarperCollins Publishers Australia, 2003.

Web links

• Official website of Shane Gould
• Shane Gould in the International Swimming Hall of Fame (English)

Individual evidence

1. ^ "The great Olympia Lexicon", Sport-Bild from June 19, 1996, p. 40
2. ↑ Sydney Olympic Park: Eight Women - Urban Art