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Triple Olympic gold medallist makes belated return to Olympic pool
Brisbane, Feb 29: Australian swimming legend Shane Gould returns to Olympic trials aged 47.
Brisbane, Feb 29: Australian swimming legend Shane Gould returns to Olympic trials aged 47.
Shane Gould, 47, is to contest the 50 metres butterfly at the Australian Olympic trials, 32 years after winning three gold medals at the Munich Games. But Swimming Australia spokesman Ian Hanson said on Thursday that Gould could not qualify for the Athens Olympics because the women's 50 metres butterfly was not part of the schedule for this year's Games. Gould qualified for the trials after winning gold at last year's U.S. Masters in 30.32 seconds.
Australia's selection trials for the Olympics in August will be held in Sydney between March 27 and April 3, and double as the national championship.
"She's definitely going to enter the 50 butterfly," Hanson told reporters by telephone from Sydney.
"She is entering because she can I suppose, she swum the qualifying time. It's remarkable, isn't it?
"She has found her second lease of life in the past couple of years. She has been coming back gradually to the swimming community and developing her own technique and she has worked on training videos."
Hanson said former recluse Gould would need to slice almost two seconds off her U.S. Masters time in the April 1 heats to reach the semi-finals.
"She's always been a very positive person. To win three golds in one Olympics, aged 15, it was extraordinary," Hanson said.
"It was probably the best single Olympic performance of any (Australian) individual."
Gould quit swimming soon after winning five medals, including the three golds, at the Munich Games. The youngster won the 200 metres and 400 metres freestyle and 200 metres medley in world record times.
"Feeling confused and overwhelmed by her high profile as a teenage sporting prodigy, she took refuge and meaning in God, surfing and an alternative lifestyle, leading to marriage at the age of 18," says Gould's website.
She lived with husband Neil Innes on a farm near the surfing town of Margaret River in Western Australia. Now separated from her husband, Gould has four children.
Her Sydney management told Reuters the swimmer was unavailable for comment on Thursday.
An Australian women's magazine quoted Gould as saying: "I can assure you that even though I'll be swimming on April Fool's Day, this is no
Bureau Report
Shane Gould, 47, is to contest the 50 metres butterfly at the Australian Olympic trials, 32 years after winning three gold medals at the Munich Games. But Swimming Australia spokesman Ian Hanson said on Thursday that Gould could not qualify for the Athens Olympics because the women's 50 metres butterfly was not part of the schedule for this year's Games. Gould qualified for the trials after winning gold at last year's U.S. Masters in 30.32 seconds.
Australia's selection trials for the Olympics in August will be held in Sydney between March 27 and April 3, and double as the national championship.
"She's definitely going to enter the 50 butterfly," Hanson told reporters by telephone from Sydney.
"She is entering because she can I suppose, she swum the qualifying time. It's remarkable, isn't it?
"She has found her second lease of life in the past couple of years. She has been coming back gradually to the swimming community and developing her own technique and she has worked on training videos."
Hanson said former recluse Gould would need to slice almost two seconds off her U.S. Masters time in the April 1 heats to reach the semi-finals.
"She's always been a very positive person. To win three golds in one Olympics, aged 15, it was extraordinary," Hanson said.
"It was probably the best single Olympic performance of any (Australian) individual."
Gould quit swimming soon after winning five medals, including the three golds, at the Munich Games. The youngster won the 200 metres and 400 metres freestyle and 200 metres medley in world record times.
"Feeling confused and overwhelmed by her high profile as a teenage sporting prodigy, she took refuge and meaning in God, surfing and an alternative lifestyle, leading to marriage at the age of 18," says Gould's website.
She lived with husband Neil Innes on a farm near the surfing town of Margaret River in Western Australia. Now separated from her husband, Gould has four children.
Her Sydney management told Reuters the swimmer was unavailable for comment on Thursday.
An Australian women's magazine quoted Gould as saying: "I can assure you that even though I'll be swimming on April Fool's Day, this is no
Bureau Report