Lenton, Lisbeth Constance (Libby) (1985 - )

Libby Lenton’s competitive swimming career was launched in 2003 at the Telstra Australian Championships when she broke the Australian record for the 50m freestyle. She broke her own record later that year, becoming the first Australian woman to swim the distance in less than 25 seconds. She set Commonwealth and Australian records in the 50m and 100m freestyle at the FINA World Cup and was named Australian Swimming Discovery of the Year.

By 2004, Lenton was a dual Olympic medallist, winning gold in the 4x100m freestyle relay with Alice Mills, Petria Thomas and Jodie Henry, and bronze in the 50m freestyle. At the Telstra Trials in Sydney, preceding the Olympics, she broke the 100m freestyle world record with a time of 53.66. In 2006, Libby Lenton won five gold and two silver medals at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. That year she broke the world record for the 100m freestyle at the Telstra Trials (also in Melbourne). She won five gold medals and one silver at the 2006 World Short Course in Shanghai, becoming the World Short Course record holder in the 100m and 200m freestyle and 100m butterfly.

MEDAL TALLY

Olympic Games Medal Record (Athens 2004)
Gold: Women’s 4x100m freestyle relay
Bronze: Women’s 50m freestyle

Commonwealth Games Medal Record (Melbourne 2006)
Gold: Women’s 50m freestyle
Gold: Women’s 100m freestyle
Gold: Women’s 4x200m freestyle relay
Gold: Women’s 4x100m freestyle relay
Gold: Women’s 4x100m medley relay (world record)
Silver: Women’s 200m freestyle
Silver: Women’s 100m butterfly

Events

2004	Bronze Medalist at the Athens Olympic Games - Swimming - 50m Freestyle
2004	Gold Medalist at the Athens Olympic Games - Swimming - 4 x 100m freestyle relay
2006	Gold Medalist at Melbourne Commonwealth Games - Swimming - 50m and 100m Freestyle, 4 x 100m freestyle relay, 4 x 200m freestlye relay, 4 x 10m medley relay

Australian Women Exhibitions

• She's Game: Women Making Australian Sporting History, Australian Women's Archives Project, 2007, http://www.womenaustralia.info/exhib/sg/sport-home.html. [ Details... ]

Online Resources

• Nick McKenzie, Libby Lenton sets new world mark for 100m freestyle, AM, ABC Local Radio, transcript of broadcast, Lenton, Libby, 1 February, http://www.abc.net.au/am/. [ Details... ]