Libby Trickett

Career

In April 2003, Trickett competed at the Duel in the Pool in Indianapolis. She swam the second leg of the 4 × 100 m freestyle relay, splitting 54.07, as Australia finished second in a national record time of 3:39.13. In the 4 × 100 m medley relay, her freestyle leg split of 54.56 helped Australia to a second-place finish of 4:05.25, later promoted to first after the US were disqualified. She won the 100 m freestyle in 54.71 and touched first in the 50 m freestyle in an Australian record 24.92, but was disqualified for a false start; Australia protested based on video replay showing no movement before the signal, but FINA rules did not allow video replay as evidence, though the ruling official agreed with the protest and petitioned Swimming Australia to ratify the time as a national record.

2004

At the July 2003 World Championships in Barcelona, she swam the first leg of the 4 × 100 m freestyle relay in a personal best 54.64, earning a bronze medal in 3:38.83, and won bronze in the 50 m freestyle in 25.08. At the 2004 Australian Championships in Sydney, she broke Inge de Bruijn's world record in the 100 m freestyle semifinals with 53.66, then finished second in the final in 54.17 to qualify for the 2004 Olympics. In the 50 m freestyle, after Michelle Engelsman broke her Australian record in the heats, Trickett reclaimed it with a 24.70 win.

At the 2004 Olympics, she swam in the 4 × 100 m freestyle relay, splitting 53.57 on the second leg in the final as Australia won gold in a world record 3:35.94. Despite entering as world record holder, she missed the 100 m freestyle final, finishing ninth in 55.17, and her world record was broken by Jodie Henry. She won bronze in the 50 m freestyle in 24.91.

Personal life

Trickett married in April 2007 at Taronga Zoo in Sydney, with an exclusive photo deal with New Idea whose profits were split among three charities; she competed under her married name from the 2008 Australian Championships. In March 2015, after a miscarriage in August 2014, she announced she was expecting their first child, due in September; she gave birth to a daughter on 31 August 2015, and a second daughter on 23 February 2018. In 2025, she had a spontaneous coronary artery dissection.

Did You Know?

• Trickett was born in Townsville, Australia as the youngest of four children.
• She joined her first swim team at age 4.
• In 1995, her family moved to Brisbane, and she began training under John Carew, coach of Kieren Perkins.