Australia in Swimming at the Olympics
Australia has been very successful in Olympic swimming since Frederick Lane won two golds in the sport at the 1900 Olympics.
At present, the country sits comfortably in second place in the overall swimming medal standings with 57 golds and 178 total medals.
The following list includes brief information on the ten greatest Australian swimmers in Olympic history:
Dawn Fraser: Fraser was the best women's swimmer in freestyle sprint events from the mid-1950s to the early '60s. She won three consecutive Olympic titles in the 100-meter freestyle and became the first swimmer to achieve the feat. Her overall medal haul was an impressive eight, including four golds and four silvers.
Shane Gould: Gould was a teenage sensation in swimming at the 1972 Olympics in Munich. Still just 15 years of age, she earned five podium finishes-with three golds-and all of them in individual events.
Grant Hackett: One of the many Australian greats in freestyle long distance events over the years, Hackett won back-to-back Olympic titles in the 1500 meters between the 2000 and 2004 Olympics. His overall medal tally consists of seven medals: three golds, three silvers, and a bronze.
Leisel Jones: Jones has been one of the world's elite breaststroke swimmers for more than a decade. She has nine Olympic medals to her credit, with three golds.
Susie O'Neill: A versatile swimmer, O'Neill won medals in various events at three consecutive Olympics, starting in 1992. She won a pair of golds over the course of her long career-both in individual events. The first was in the 200-meter butterfly at the Atlanta Games, with the other one in the 200-meter freestyle four years later in Sydney.
Kieren Perkins: Perkins dominated the men's 1500-meter freestyle throughout the 1990s, while winning three Olympic medals at the distance. He earned golds in the race at the 1992 and 1996 Olympics, and capped off his career with silver in 2000. Also a top-notch performer in the 400 and 800 meters, he took silver in the former at the Barcelona Games.
Stephanie Rice: Rice swept the women's 200 and 400-meter individual medleys at the Beijing Games, and also swam a leg of Australia's victorious women's 4x200 meter freestyle relay.
Murray Rose: Rose usually reigned supreme in the men's freestyle events from 400 to 1500 meters from the mid-1950s through the early '60s. He won consecutive Olympic titles at 400 meters in 1956 and 1960, and finished with a gold and a silver in the 1500 meters the same years.
David Thiele: Somewhat overshadowed by the accomplishments of teammates Murray Rose and Dawn Fraser, Thiele still made a name for himself by capturing back-to-back Olympic titles in the 100-meter backstroke in 1956 and 1960.
Ian Thorpe: Without a doubt one of swimming's greatest stars, Thorpe was a nine-time Olympic medalist. Among his many podium finishes was one for gold in the 200-meter freestyle in 2004, and a pair of golds in the 400-meter freestyle between the Sydney and Athens Games.
Related content: Summer Olympics: 10 Greatest Rivalries
Patrick Hattman covered the London Games for the Yahoo! Contributor Network. He is already looking forward to the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.
