Melbourne, Australia March 17- April 1, 2007 - Hanson Media Group

Australian Aquatics Media Guide - XII FINA World Swimming Championships – Melbourne March 17 – April 1, 2007 © HSM
OUT OF THE POOL
FAMILY MEMBERS: Wife - Linda, daughter – Stella,
Father - Wojtek, mother – Ewa, Sister – Anna. WHAT OR
WHO INSPIRES YOU: Being part of a historic era in
Australian swimming; ROLE MODELS: Chris Martin,
Andre Agassi
PERSONAL
STUDIES/OCCUPATION: Professional Swimmer;
SPORTS BEFORE SWIMMING AND SPORTS YOU
PLAY NOW: Golf, cycling, surfing; SUPERSTITIONS:
Wear a new Speedo suit every major race; ULTIMATE
RELAXATION: Spa/retreat; SPECIALTY IN THE
KITCHEN: BBQ (cooking my meat to perfection); ONE
THING YOU CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT: A good cup of
coffee, the sun and my girls;
FAVOURITE:
SPORTING TEAM: St Kilda; MOVIES: Pulp Fiction and
Brave Heart; TV SHOW: ER and Sports Tonight;
BANDS/MUSIC: Interpol, Stereophonics, Dakoda; Cold
Play, Roots, U2, Fray; FOOD: Anything from Longrain;
DRINK: Vodka Lime soda; SWIM MEET: Klim Swim
Trojans; HOBBIES: Fashion, design, golf and surfing;
PETS: Snake - ‘Mitch'; LAST BOOK READ: I don't really
read books, lots of magazines though; WHAT’S YOUR
AUSTRALIAN TEAM REPRESENTATIVE HONOURS AND RESULTS
EVENT LOCATION YEAR RESULTS
Olympic Games Atlanta, USA 1996 3rd 4x100m medley, 4th 4x200m free; 6th 100m fly,
4x100m free; 10th 200m free
Sydney, AUS 2000 1st 4x100m, 4x200m free; 2nd 4x100m medley, 100m fly
Athens, Greece 2004 2nd 4x200m free; 6th 4x100m free; 9th 4x100m medley
World Champs Perth, AUS 1998 1st 200m free, 100m fly, 4x200m free, 4x100m medley;
2nd 100m free, 4x100m free; 3rd 50m free
Fukuoka, Japan 2001 1st 4x100m free, 4x200m free; 7th 100m fly; 11th 50m fly
Montreal, Canada 2005 3rd 4x100m free, 26th 50m free; 11th 100m free
Commonwealth Kuala Lumpur, 1998 1
Games
Malaysia
st 100m free, 4x100m, 4x200m free, 4x100m medley
Melbourne, 2006 1
Australia
st 4x100m medley; 2nd 100m fly, 4x100m free; 3rd 50m
fly
World Short Course Rio de Janeiro, 1995 1
Brazil
st 4x200m free, 4x100m medley; 2nd 4x100m free; 3rd 100m fly, 200m free
Gothenburg, 1997 1
Sweden
st 4x100m medley, 4x200m free; 2nd 4x100m free; 3rd 100m free, 200m free, 100m fly
Hong Kong, China 1999 1st 4x100m free, 4x100m medley; 2nd 100m free, 200m
free, 100m fly
Pan Pacific Champs Atlanta, USA 1995 1st 4x200m free; 2nd 4x100m free, 4x100m medley
Fukuoka, Japan 1997 1st 100m free, 200m free, 4x200m free
Sydney, AUS 1999 1st 100m free, 100m fly, 4x100m, 4x200m free; 2nd 200m
free
Goodwill Games Brisbane, AUS 2001 1st overall team, 100m fly
PERSONAL BEST TIMES AND RANKINGS- LONG COURSE:
EVENT ENT PERSONAL
BEST ST
ALL-TIME
AUSTRALIAN
RANKING NG
MEET
50m freestyle 22.31 3rd 1999 Canberra Invitational
100m freestyle 48.18 Australian Record 2000 Olympics
200m freestyle 1:46.82 3rd 1999 Pan Pacs Sydney
50m butterfly 23.74 3rd 2006 Comm. Games
100m butterfly 51.81 Commonwealth Record 1999 Canberra Time Trial
GREATEST ASSET? My wife (Lindy) and Stella; WHO
HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST INFLUENCE IN YOUR LIFE
AND WHY? Family and Gennadi Touretski- his guidance
was amazing while I was based in Canberra; HOW
WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN THREE
WORDS: Driven, bold and goofy; HOW WOULD YOU
LIKE TO BE REMEMBERED? Someone who was
passionate and managed to leave a mark on the sport by
the way I went about my business; SWIMMING CAREER
ULTIMATE GOAL: 4 Olympic Games; PERSONAL
AMBITIONS: To live a happy and quiet life without any
worries near a beach; HAVE YOU ENCOUNTERED ANY
OBSTACLES DURING YOUR SWIMMING CAREER?
Wait for the book; WHAT AGE DID YOU START
SWIMMING AND WHY? At age 4 because it was bloody
hot in India where I was living; FAVOURITE SWIMMER
AND WHY? Alex Popov because he managed to control
and dominate his event through technique and knowledge
of himself for many years. I was able to watch it first hand
and learn from him; FAVOURITE ATHLETE AND WHY?
As a kid it was Michael Jordan and Boris Becker, no-one
really anymore; NOTABLE QUOTE: “It’s nice to be
important but it’s more important to be nice.” Gene
Jackson, my first swim coach at Melbourne Vicentre.