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| Human Interest | |
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Further Personal Information | |
| Residence | Brisbane, QLD, AUS |
| Higher education | Beauty Therapy - Australian Institute of Applied Sciences: Brisbane, QLD, AUS |
General Interest | |
| Hobbies | Photography, reading on the lounge on a rainy day and supporting the Brisbane Broncos rugby league team. (Swimming Australia, 23 Dec 2006) |
Sport Specific Information | |
| Why this sport? | She began swimming when her mother, a cleaner at the local pool, would take her to work each morning. "I jumped in the pool thinking I had my floaties [arm flotation devices] on but I sank to the bottom - I then started lessons." |
General Interest | |
| Hero / Idol | Australian swimmer Samantha Riley and US boxer Muhammad Ali. (reachout.com.au, 05 Jul 2005; FINA Aquatics World Magazine, 07 Dec 2010) |
| Awards and honours | In 2010 she was named Australia's Short Course Swimmer of the Year. (FINA Aquatics World Magazine, 07 Dec 2010) She is a recipient of the Medal of the Order of Australia [OAM]. (clubsonline.com.au, 15 Jul 2010). She was named Swimming World Magazine's Female Swimmer of the Year in 2005 and 2006. (grandslamint.com, 23 Dec 2006) In 2006 she was named the Australian Swimmer of the Year. (Fox Sports, 12 Dec 2006) She was 15 when she competed at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, making her the youngest Australian Olympic swimmer since 1976. Her medals in the 100m breaststroke and 4x100m medley in Sydney made her the youngest Australian ever to win an Olympic swimming medal. (worldchamps.swimming.org.au, 31 Mar 2004; NBC Olympics, 29 Jun 2001) |
Sport Specific Information | |
| When and where did you begin this sport? | She began swimming at age two. |
Further Personal Information | |
| Languages | English |
General Interest | |
| Nicknames | Weasel, Leizel Weazel, Lethal Leisel, LJ (Swimming Australia, 21 Jun 2005; grandslamint.com 23 Dec 2006) |
| Sporting philosophy / motto | "Successful people do what unsuccessful people don't want to do." (FINA Aquatics World Magazine, 07 Dec 2010) |
| Other information | RETIREMENT She confirmed her retirement from competitive swimming in November 2012, ending a 13-year international career that saw her become Australia's first four-time Olympic swimmer. The medal she won at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, silver in the 4x100m medley relay, equalled Ian Thorpe's Australian record of nine Olympic medals. (smh.com.au, 16 Nov 2012) SPEAKING OUT She confronted members of the Australian men's swimming team during the 2012 Olympic Games in London because she was concerned about their bullying of a younger female member of the team. (couriermail.com.au, 17 Nov 2012) CHANGE OF COACH In December 2011 she decided to return to Brisbane after spending four years training under Rohan Taylor in Melbourne. After opting not to join Taylor and his squad on a three-week training camp in Spain, she returned to Brisbane and spent a short stint training under Michael Bohl. She realised she was much happier in Brisbane and decided to make the move permanent. "It confirmed that Queensland was the best place for me going into the Olympics. I know what it's going to take to win another Olympic gold medal and I need to be in the best place to do that." (theaustralian.com.au, 09 Dec 2011) CLOTHING LINE She has designed a clothing label for kids called Leazel Weazel. (The Australian, 16 Dec 2006) TATTOO She has a tattoo of the Olympic rings on her lower back. (NOC, 14 May 2008) |