Libby Trickett

Infobox Swimmer
swimmername= Libby Trickett


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fullname = Lisbeth Constance Trickett
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nationality = AUS
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birthdate = birth date and age|df=yes|1985|1|28
birthplace = Townsville, Queensland
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Lisbeth "Libby" Constance Trickett (née Lenton) OAM (born 28 January 1985, in Townsville, Queensland, Australia) is a World Record Holding and Olympic Gold Medalist swimmer from Australia. She won gold as part of the 2008 Australian Olympic team, and was also a gold medalist at the 2004 Summer Olympics. She holds 5 World Records, two in long course (50m).

Career

Trickett was also a bronze medalist in the Women's 50 metre Freestyle. She had previously been the holder of the 100 m Freestyle world record (53.66) set at the Olympic swimming Trials held in Sydney, Australia on 31 March 2004, but lost this to teammate Jodie Henry (53.52) during the semi finals of the event at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

However, Trickett regained her 100 m Freestyle World Record on 31 January 2006 at the Australian Championships in Melbourne. Her time of 53.42 was 0.1 sec faster than the previous record held by Henry. On 2 August 2006, German swimmer Britta Steffen broke Trickett's 100 m Freestyle World Record at the 2006 European Championships in Budapest, Hungary, with a time of 53.30. Trickett again regained the world record with a time of 52.88 on 27 March 2008 at the 100 m Finals of the Australian Olympic Trials. She is the current 100 m Freestyle and 50 m Freestyle world record holder.

In July 2005, at the FINA World Championships in Montreal, Canada, Trickett was one of the form swimmers of the meet. She won the 50 m freestyle in a time of 24.59 to record her maiden championship at international level. She also achieved a silver medal in the 100 m butterfly (57.37). She was a member of three relay teams, the 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay, 4 × 100 metre medley relay, and the 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay teams, winning gold (3:37.22), gold (3:57.47) and silver (7:54.00) in the respective events. Fairly new to the 200 m freestyle event, Trickett recorded the fourth fastest time in history clocking 1:57.06 as lead-off swimmer in the final of the 4x200 m freestyle relay. The time being more than 1.5 seconds faster than the individual gold medallist Solenne Figues (1.58.60) (France). On returning to Australia, Trickett continued her rich vein of form, lowering the 100 m Short Course Freestyle World Record on consecutive nights at the Australian Short Course Championships to 51.70 s.

2005 brought a further world record in the short-course 200 m freestyle at the Sydney, Australia stop of the 2005 FINA World Cup series (Sydney - 19 November) with Trickett recording a time of 1:53.29 to beat the previous record by 0.75 seconds.

Trickett is coached Swiss-born Stephan Widmer at the Fortitude Valley Pool in Brisbane, and she now trains alongside current 100 m and 200 m breaststroke World Record Holder and World Champion Leisel Jones.

At the 2006 Commonwealth Games she won silver medals in the Women's 200 m freestyle and 100 m butterfly events. She defeated Henry to claim the 50 m and 100 m freestyle, and was a part of the winning 4x200 m and 4x100 m freestyle relay teams, as well as breaking the world record in the 4x100 m medley relay, where her split of 52.87 s eclipsed the previous best by Henry. She took 5 of Australia's 12 gold medals in the 2006 Short Course Worlds in Shanghai, being named the leading female swimmer of the meet.

In the latter part of 2006, Trickett won four titles at the Australian Short Course Nationals - both the 50 m and 100 m freestyle and butterfly events. More commonly known for her freestyle expertise, she set a new Australian and Commonwealth record in the 50 m butterfly and a new world record for the 100 m butterfly.

She was named as the 2005 Female Australian Swimmer of the Year.

On 25 March, at the 2007 FINA World Championships in Melbourne, Trickett claimed Gold again. Combining with Shayne Reese, rookie Melanie Schlanger and great mate Jodie Henry, Trickett led the Australian 4x100 m freestyle relay team in a world championship record time of 3:35.48, ahead of the USA in 3:35.68 and the Netherlands in 3:36.81. Trickett finished her 100 m split in 53.42 - a time that was under that of the first leg relay world record split.

On 26 March, Trickett added another Gold by winning the women's 100 m butterfly in a championship record time - 57.15 seconds - touching the wall just 0.09 seconds ahead of her second-placed team-mate Jessicah Schipper and American Natalie Coughlin. Then, on 1 April, she won another gold by an amazing nine one-hundredths of a second.

Shortly following the 2007 Worlds, on 3 April, at the biannual Duel in the Pool meet between Australia and the USA swimming teams (in Sydney, Australia in 2007), she swam a 100 m freestyle in 52.99, well under the existing World Record of 53.30 by Germany's Britta Steffen, and making her the first woman under 53 seconds in a long-course (50 m) pool. The time was not accepted by FINA as the World Record, because the race the time was swum in is not, itself, a recognized FINA event according to the ruling.

Trickett went on to officially break the record in a time of 52.88 s on 27 March 2008 in the 100 m Finals of the Australian Olympic Trials. [Cowley, Michael. [http://www.theage.com.au/news/swimming/trickett-sets-the-record-straight/2008/03/27/1206207302901.html "Trickett sets the record straight"] , "The Age", 28 March 2008. Retrieved on 29 March 2008.] Two days later on 29 March 2008 she broke the world record for the 50m Freestyle Finals in the Australian Olympic Trials with a time of 23.97, taking 0.12 seconds off the previous record. [ [http://www.smh.com.au/news/beijing2008/trickett-breaks-50m-freestyle-world-record/2008/03/29/1206207489411.html "Trickett breaks 50m world record"] , "Sydney Morning Herald", 29 March 2008. Retrieved on 29 March 2008.] Trickett is now the only woman in the history of swimming to have a time under 53 seconds for the 100m freestyle or under 24 seconds for the 50m freestyle event.

At the Beijing Olympics, Trickett won Gold in the 100m butterfly and finished 2nd in the 100m freestyle, narrowly losing to Britta Steffen of Germany on the wall.

After the Olympics, Trickett split with Wdimar, who had coached her from before she made her debut for Australia. Trickett said that she needed a change to rejuvenate her. She will swim under Grant Stoelwinder at the New South Wales Institute of Sport in Sydney. Stoelwinder is a sprint coach and currently mentors Eamon Sullivan, who holds the 50 m and 100 m freestyle world records.

Personal life

Trickett married swimmer Luke Trickett among scenes of tight security at Taronga Zoo on Sydney Harbour on the 7 April 2007. The well publicised ceremony was widely criticised as the bride entered via a "walking tent", due to the exclusive photo deal the couple had with magazine New Idea. [ [http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,21491286-5001021,00.html Libby Lenton's Wedding Day 3/4/07] ] The couple revealed later they split the photo profits between three charities [ [http://sports.inquirer.net/breakingnews/breakingnews/view/20080722-149948/Aussie-Trickett-set-to-star-in-Beijing-pool Aussie Trickett set to star in Beijing pool 22/7/08] ]

She changed to swimming under her married name at the Australian 2008 Olympic selection trials. [cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/beijing2008/swim-star-libby-lenton-to-miss-beijing-2008/2008/03/21/1205602631481.html |title=Just the Trickett: Libby Lenton won't go to Games |accessdate=2008-03-22 ]

Achievements

ee also

* Commonwealth Games records in swimming

References

External links

*
* Videos & Results on [http://www.swimpassion.net/Athletes/lisbethtrickett.html SwimPassion.net]