- Entry type: Person
- Entry ID: AWE2260
O’Neill, Susie
(1973 – )- Born 2 August, 1973, Mackay Queensland Australia
- Occupation Commonwealth or Empire Games Gold Medalist, Olympian, Swimmer
Summary
For an entire decade, Olympic swimmer Susie O’Neill won a medal at every single international swimming competition. She holds a record 35 Australian titles and eight Olympic medals. Dubbed ‘Madame Butterfly’, O’Neill achieved world number one ranking in both the 100m and 200m butterfly events. She was also ranked world number one in the 200m freestyle from 1999-2000.
Details
Susie O’Neill launched her competitive swimming career at the age of fourteen, when she narrowly missed selection for the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul. Two years later she won both gold and silver medals at the Commonwealth Games. At the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, O’Neill won gold, silver and bronze medals, making her Australia’s most outstanding Olympic performer since Shane Gould in 1972.
At the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, O’Neill once again outperformed her peers, winning a record eight medals, including six gold. At Sydney in 2000, she swam at her last Olympic Games, winning one gold and three silver medals. With Dawn Fraser and Petria Thomas, O’Neill holds the Australian women’s record for her Olympic medal tally.
Events
-
1992 - 1992
Swimming – 200m Butterfly
Bronze Medalist at the Barcelona Olympic Games -
1996 - 1996
Swimming – 200m Butterfly
Gold Medalist at the Atlanta Olympic Games -
1996 - 1996
Swimming – 4 x 100m Medley Relay
Silver Medalist at the Atlanta Olympic Games -
1996 - 1996
Swimming – 4 x 200m Freestyle
Bronze medalist at the Atlanta Olympic Games -
2000 - 2000
Swimming – 200m Butterfly, 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay, 4 x 100m Medley Relay
Silver Medalist at the Sydney Olympic Games -
2000 - 2000
Swimming – 200m Freestyle
Gold Medalist at the Sydney Olympic Games -
1994 - 1994
Swimming – 200m Freestyle, 200m Butterfly, 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay
Gold Medalist at Victoria Commonwealth Games -
1998 - 1998
Swimming – 200m Freestyle, 400m Freestyle, 200m Butterfly, 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay, 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay, 4 x 100m Medley Relay
Gold Medalist at Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games -
1990 - 1990
Swimming – 4 x 100m Fresstyle Relay
Gold Medalist at Auckland Commonwealth Games
Published resources
- Book
-
Journal Article
- The butterfly has landed: Susie O'Neill, Collings, H., 2003
- A Fairytale Career: Susie O'Neill, Halloran, J., 2000
- Mind Games: Susie O'Neill, Harms, J., 2000
- Susie's fairly simple path to greatness: Susie O'Neill, Smith, W., 1999
- Total Immersion: Susie O'Neill, Alexander, R., 1998
- Susie O'Neill: Madame Butterfly, Fittall, K., 1998
- Madame butterfly mark 2: Susie O'Neill, Gray, S., 1996
- Class of 94 - Susie O'Neill and Rebecca Brown, Alexander, R., 1994
-
Resource
- Australia at the Games, Australian Olympic Committee, 2006, http://corporate.olympics.com.au/index.cfm?p=25
- Trove: O'Neill, Susie (1973-), http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-708121
-
Site Exhibition
- She's Game: Women Making Australian Sporting History, Australian Women's Archives Project, 2007, http://www.womenaustralia.info/exhib/sg/sport-home.html