Dawn Fraser AO, MBE (born 4 September 1937) was an Australian champion swimmer and politician. She is one of only two swimmers to win the same Olympic event three times – in her case the 100 meters freestyle.
Within Australia, she is known for her controversial behaviour and larrikin character as much as for her athletic ability.
Fraser was born in the Sydney suburb of Balmain in 1937 into a working-class family. She was spotted at the early age ...
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Dawn Fraser AO, MBE (born 4 September 1937) was an Australian champion swimmer and politician. She is one of only two swimmers to win the same Olympic event three times – in her case the 100 meters freestyle.
Within Australia, she is known for her controversial behaviour and larrikin character as much as for her athletic ability.
Fraser was born in the Sydney suburb of Balmain in 1937 into a working-class family. She was spotted at the early age of 14 by Sydney coach Harry Gallagher swimming at the local sea baths.
Fraser won eight Olympic medals, including four gold medals, and six Commonwealth Games gold medals. She also held 39 records. The 100 meters freestyle record was hers for 15 years from 1 December 1956 to 8 January 1972.
She is the first of only two swimmers in Olympic history (Krisztina Egerszegi of Hungary being the other) to win individual gold medals for the same event at three successive Olympics (100 meters freestyle – 1956, 1960, 1964).
In October 1962, she became...
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