Australian Women's Register

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O'Neill, Susie (1973 - )

Born
2 August 1973
Mackay, Queensland, Australia
Occupation
Commonwealth or Empire Games Gold Medalist, Olympian and 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

1990
Gold Medalist at Auckland Commonwealth Games - Swimming - 4 x 100m Fresstyle Relay
1992
Bronze Medalist at the Barcelona Olympic Games - Swimming - 200m Butterfly
1994
Gold Medalist at Victoria Commonwealth Games - Swimming - 200m freestyle, 200m butterfly, 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay
1996
Bronze medalist at the Atlanta Olympic Games - Swimming - 4 x 200m Freestyle
1996
Silver Medalist at the Atlanta Olympic Games - Swimming - 4 x 100m Medley Relay
1996
Gold Medalist at the Atlanta Olympic Games - Swimming - 200m Butterfly
1998
Gold Medalist at Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games - Swimming - 200m Freestyle, 400m Freestyle, 200m Butterfly, 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay, 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay, 4 x 100m Medley Relay
2000
Gold Medalist at the Sydney Olympic Games - Swimming - 200m Freestyle
2000
Silver Medalist at the Sydney Olympic Games - Swimming - 200m Butterfly, 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay, 4 x 100m Medley Relay

Sources used to compile this entry: Australia at the Games, with Gordon, Harry, Australian Olympic Committee, 2006, http://corporate.olympics.com.au/index.cfm?p=25; http://www.olympics.com.au; http://www.abc.net.au/queensland (Note: the National Library of Australia holds biographical cuttings on Susie O'Neill, Record ID: 466565).

Published resources

The Australian Women's Register Exhibitions

Books

  • O'Neill, Susie, Choose to win: achieving your goals, fulfilling your dreams, Chappell, Fiona, Macmillan, Sydney, 1999, 246 pp. Details
  • O'Neill, Susie, Susie O'Neill: our champion, Purdon, Fiona, 2000, 128 pp. Details

Journal Articles

  • Alexander, R., 'Class of 94 - Susie O'Neill and Rebecca Brown', Inside Sport (Sydney), August, pp. 38-43. Details
  • Alexander, R., 'Total Immersion: Susie O'Neill', Inside Sport, September, pp. 36-40, 42-43. Details
  • Collings, H., 'The butterfly has landed: Susie O'Neill', Runner's World (Melbourne), 7 March, pp. 32-35. Details
  • Fittall, K., 'Susie O'Neill: Madame Butterfly', Women in Sport (Melbourne), 4 March, pp. 20-22, 24. Details
  • Gray, S., 'Madame butterfly mark 2: Susie O'Neill', Sports Weekly (Sydney), 23 January, pp. 24-27. Details
  • Halloran, J., 'A Fairytale Career: Susie O'Neill', Women in Sport, 6 June, pp. 22-25. Details
  • Harms, J., 'Mind Games: Susie O'Neill', Sports Woman, 3 January, pp. 13-15. Details
  • Smith, W., 'Susie's fairly simple path to greatness: Susie O'Neill', Australian Swimming and Fitness (Canberra), 18 September, pp. 34-36. Details

Online Resources

Barbara Lemon

Created: 17 January 2007, Last modified: 5 September 2012

Site-wide information and acknowledgements

National Foundation for Australian Women The University of Melbourne, eScholarship Research Centre

http://www.womenaustralia.info/biogs/AWE2260b.htm

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