Dawn Fraser
In office 19 March 1988 – 25 May 1991 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Peter Crawford | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Succeeded by | District abolished | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sport | Swimming | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Strokes | Freestyle, butterfly | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Dawn Fraser
Early life
Fraser was born in the Sydney suburb of
Swimming career
Fraser won eight Olympic medals, including four gold medals, and six Commonwealth Games gold medals. She also held 39 records. The 100 metres freestyle record was hers for 15 years from 1 December 1956 to 8 January 1972.
She is the first of only four swimmers in Olympic history (Hungarian Krisztina Egerszegi and Americans Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky being the three others) to have won individual gold medals for the same event at three successive Olympics (100 metres freestyle – 1956, 1960, 1964).
In October 1962, she became the first woman to swim 100 metres freestyle in less than one minute.[4] It was not until 1972, eight years after Fraser retired, that her 100 m record of 58.9 secs was broken.[5]
Several weeks before the 1964 Olympics, Fraser was injured in a car crash that resulted in the death of her mother Rose. Her sister and a friend were also travelling in Fraser's car when it crashed, but they survived.[6] This was a fresh tragedy for Fraser and her family following her older brother's death from leukaemia in 1950, and her father died after a long battle against cancer in 1960.
1964 Summer Olympics incidents and ban from swimming
During the
Fraser later denied having swum the moat to steal the flag, telling The Times in 1991: "There's no way I would have swum that moat. I was terrified of dirty water and that moat was filthy. There's no way I'd have dipped my toe in it."[8] The Australian Amateur Swimming Association banned Fraser from competitive swimming for 10 years.[9]
Post-swimming activities
Fraser became a publican at the Riverview Hotel, Balmain, and took up swimming coaching.
In 1988, Fraser was elected as an independent to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for the seat of Balmain. That electorate was abolished in 1991, and after she failed to win the new seat of Port Jackson, she retired from politics.[1][10]
Personal life
Fraser married Gary Ware on 30 January 1965 at St Stephens Church, Macquarie Street, Sydney.
Fraser is the great-aunt of Canadian soccer player Danielle Steer.[14]
Controversies
Political and racial views
In 1997, Fraser told the ABC: "I mean I wish I could be as outspoken, I suppose, as Pauline Hanson and say, 'look, I'm sick and tired of the immigrants that are coming into my country.'" Fraser also stated her interest in joining Hanson's One Nation Party.[15]
In 2015, during an interview on the
In popular culture
In 1979, a movie called Dawn! was made about Fraser's life and career. It starred Bronwyn Mackay-Payne as Fraser.
Fraser was played by Melissa Thomas in the 2003 film Swimming Upstream. Fraser herself is credited in the film as Dawn Fraser's coach. On 1 September 2015, Dawn Fraser featured on Season 7, Episode 5, of the SBS genealogy television series Who Do You Think You Are?, which traced her heritage back to South America.
Honours
Fraser was named the
She was one of the bearers of the
The
As part of the
In 2022, she was an inaugural inductee of the Swimming Australia Hall of Fame.[29]
Olympic accomplishments
Event | Time | Place | |
1956 Summer Olympics | |||
---|---|---|---|
100m Freestyle | 1:02.0 | Gold | WR |
400m Freestyle | 5:02.5 | Silver | |
4 × 100 m Freestyle Relay | 4:17.1 | Gold | WR |
1960 Summer Olympics | |||
100m Freestyle | 1:01.2 | Gold | OR |
400m Freestyle | 4:58.5 | 5th | |
4 × 100 m Freestyle Relay | 4:11.3 | Silver | |
4 × 100 m Medley Relay | 4:45.9 | Silver | |
1964 Summer Olympics | |||
100m Freestyle | 59.5 | Gold | OR |
400m Freestyle | 4:47.6 | 4th | |
4 × 100 m Freestyle Relay | 4:06.9 | Silver | |
4 × 100 m Medley Relay | 4:52.3 | 9th |
- 1962 Perth Commonwealth Games
- 110 yards freestyle – gold medal
- 440 yards freestyle – gold medal
- 4 × 110 yards (4 × 100.58 metres) freestyle relay – gold medal
- 4 × 110 yards (4 × 100.58 metres) medley relay – gold medal
See also
- List of members of the International Swimming Hall of Fame
- List of multiple Olympic gold medalists
- List of multiple Olympic gold medalists in one event
- List of multiple Summer Olympic medalists
- List of Olympic medalists in swimming (women)
- World record progression 100 metres freestyle
- World record progression 200 metres freestyle
- World record progression 4 × 100 metres freestyle relay
References
- ^ a b Dawn Fraser Archived 17 September 2013 at the Wayback Machine. sports-reference.com
- ISBN 978-0-313-38549-0. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
- ^ McMorran, Caroline (20 August 2012). "Olympic swim star makes surprise visit". The Northern Times. Archived from the original on 9 July 2015. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
- ^ Clarkson, Alan (28 October 1962). "Champion's world time in 110 yds". The Sun-Herald. p. 67.
- ^ "Swim contest a spectacular of records". The Sun-Herald. AAP, Reuters. 2 May 1971. p. 107.
- ^ "I killed my mother". The Sydney Morning Herald. 9 August 2004. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
- ^ "Dawn Fraser: still kicking". Sunday Profile, ABC. 15 April 2007. Archived from the original on 12 February 2017. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
- ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
- ^ "Swim ban on four Games girls". Canberra Times. 2 March 1965.
- ^ "Ms Dawn Fraser (1937– )". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
- ^ Hickson, Jack (30 January 1965). "Dawn Fraser's wedding to Gary Ware, St. Stephen's Church, Sydney". acms.sl.nsw.gov.au. State Library of NSW. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
- ^ Fraser, Dawn (15 April 2007). "Dawn Fraser: still kicking". Sunday Profile www.abc.net.a (Interview). Interviewed by Attard, Monica. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 12 February 2017. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
- ^ Hardy, Karen (15 December 2013). "Dawn Fraser still smiling". The Sydney Morining Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
- ^ Hughes, Nick (4 January 2023). "Danielle Steer adds extra flair to Western United attacking stocks". Western United FC.
- ^ Corderoy, Amy (7 July 2015). "From Olympic bans to One Nation: Dawn Fraser no stranger to controversy". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
- ^ a b "Dawn Fraser sorry for 'racist' outburst on Nick Kyrgios and Bernard Tomic". The Guardian. 7 July 2015. Retrieved 13 August 2016.
- ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
- ^ "Dawn Fraser attacks Nick Kyrgios after Wimbledon 2015 loss". NewsComAu. 7 July 2015. Archived from the original on 7 July 2015. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
- ^ Holland, Angus (7 July 2015). "Dawn Fraser's comments about Kyrgios and Tomic were racist, say experts". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 13 August 2016.
- ISBN 978-1-74196-809-5.
- ^ "Dawn Fraser (AUS)". ISHOF.org. International Swimming Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
- ^ It's an Honour: MBE
- ^ It's an Honour Archived 22 February 2019 at the Wayback Machine – Officer of the Order of Australia
- ^ Wilson, Chris (28 February 2013). "Fraser named greatest despite push for skater". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
- ^ "Dawn Fraser". Sport Australia Hall of Fame. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
- ^ "Dawn Fraser". Australian Honours Database. Archived from the original on 22 February 2019. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
- ^ "State Heritage Inventory". 22 October 2019.
- ^ "FRASER, Dawn". It's An Honour. Australian Government. 11 June 2018. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
- ^ Hanson, Ian (28 August 2022). "Ian Thorpe, Dawn Fraser and Shane Gould Among First Inductees Into Swimming Australia Hall Of Fame". Swimming World. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
External links
- Official website
- Dawn Fraser at the Sport Australia Hall of Fame
- Dawn Fraser at The Encyclopedia of Women and Leadership in Twentieth-Century Australia
- Dawn Fraser at the International Swimming Hall of Fame
- Dawn Fraser at the Australian Olympic Committee
- Dawn Fraser at Commonwealth Games Australia
- Dawn Fraser at Olympedia