A string of victories that began when she was just 15 made this Australian freestyle swimmer a national hero.
Intimidating start
Shane Gould was just 15 years old when she competed in the 1972 Munich Games. However, her reputation was already so fearsome that swimmers from the United States tried to build their own confidence by wearing t-shirts that read "All that glitters is not Gould."
Winning stamina
In Munich, Gould swam 12 races in 8 days, logging 4,200m of competitive swimming in the process. She won her first gold in the 200m individual medley. She went on to win two further golds in the 400m freestyle and 200m freestyle, in which she also set her third world record. She finished her first Olympic Games with a silver medal in the 800m freestyle.
Multiple record-breaker
Between July 1971 and January 1972, Shane Gould set world records in all five internationally recognised freestyle distances: the 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m and 1500m.
Short but sweet
A year after her amazing performance in Munich, Shane Gould retired from competition and stepped away from public life for 25 years. After raising her four children on a farm in Western Australia, she re-emerged and was welcomed as a national hero at the 2000 Sydney Games.
