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King of the Pool

Australia’s swimming “king of the pool” returned from the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games triumphant having securing a silver and bronze medal.

A long term veteran in the pool and natural leader, Grant Hackett was voted the first and only Australian Swimming Team Captain for the 2008 Games.

Grant Hackett has consistently raised the bar in distance swimming since inheriting the role of Olympic and world champion from his predecessor, Kieren Perkins. A true Australian, he has won more major medals than any other Australian - his 32 Olympic and world medals, place him second only to American swim star Michael Phelps. Over three Olympic Games, Hackett has won an incredible seven medals - three gold, three silver and one bronze.

Grant Hackett was first named the ‘New King’ of distance swimming when he completed the 1,500m freestyle at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.

At just 21 years of age, Grant stopped the nation again at the 2001 World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan. As reigning Olympic, World, Commonwealth, Pan Pacific and Australian Champion he swam the fastest times of his life in the 400m and 800m freestyle setting personal bests in each event. He went on to annihilate Keiren Perkins’ seven year record for the 1500m freestyle by a massive 7.01s setting the bar at 14m34.56s.

Grant Hackett won his second Olympic title in 2004 despite swimming the final with a partially collapsed lung. He recovered to win his fourth straight world title in 2005. Grant’s right shoulder was the next to surrender. He had surgery in November 2005 which forced him to pull out of the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.

In 2006, Grant began having back problems and was diagnosed with exercise-induced asthma. He arrived at the 2007 World Championships in Melbourne in the worst shape of his career. He finished third in the 400m, seventh in the 800m and seventh in the 1,500m, ending his unbeaten run.

Despite the setbacks, Hackett worked to overcome doubts about his chances of winning at the Beijing Olympics and to regain his self belief. He left his Gold Coast home, where he had lived all his life, moved to Melbourne and married Australian singer Candice Alley. He split with Dennis Cotterell, who had coached him for 20 years, and appointed Ian Pope as his coach. It was a risky decision but one that led to his amazing turn around and successes at the 2008 Olympic Games.

Grant is a level-headed, articulate, and extremely talented young man and his success extends well beyond the pool. His professional career is interspersed with achievements that extend well beyond the pool deck. Grant has been named Swimming Australia's Male Distance Swimmer of the Year on many occasions, Australian Swimmer of the Year (jointly held) and took out the Telstra People's Choice Award in 2004. He was awarded the Centenary Medal and the Australian Sports Medal in 2000 and an Order of the Medal of Australia (OAM) for his services to swimming in 2001. In 2006, Grant joined other high profile Australians to launch Headspace, a major initiative designed to deliver better mental health services for young people aged 12-25.