Bronte Barratt

 

Bronte Barratt jumped onto the international swimming stage in 2008, making headlines when she won Olympic Gold in Beijing in the 4 x 200m Freestyle relay alongside Stephanie Rice.

Bronte competed in her first Olympics at the age of 19 in the 2008 Beijing Games, breaking her Australian Record in the finals of the 400m Freestyle and continuing her form into the finals of the 200m Freestyle. It was her final swim of the meet that got the country talking when Bronte teamed up with three Australian swimmers in the 4 x 200m Freestyle relay.  In a stellar performance exceeding expectations, the team touched the wall in World Record time, becoming Olympic Champions.

Barratt’s success has long been in the making. Bronte had sensational success in the Australian Age Championships over the years, winning nine National Titles by the age of 15, and in 2005, dominated the Junior Pan Pac Championships taking home five Gold medals. At the 2007 Japan Open, Barratt broke the oldest record in Australian swimming. She out swam Tracey Wickham’s Commonwealth and Australian record for the 400m Freestyle, a record that stood for 29 years.

A gutsy competitor, Barratt qualified for her first Commonwealth Games in 2006 and reaffirmed her immense talent by winning Gold in the women’s 4 x 200m Freestyle relay and Bronze in the 400m Freestyle. Backing up from the Games to compete at the World Short Course Championships in Shanghai, Barratt again showed her world-class ability by winning Gold in the women’s 4 x 200m Freestyle relay and an individual Silver medal in the 400m Freestyle.

More recently, at the 2011 World Championships in Shanghai, Bronte again came away with a Silver medal in the 4 x 200m Freestyle relay.

With an Olympic Gold medal and World Record under her belt, Bronte is ready to set the stage alight as a 23-year-old in London.  She proved that she is a strong medal prospect for London, out touching Kylie Palmer in the 200m Freestyle to take Gold in the Australian Olympic Trials in March 2012, before Palmer returned the favor in the 400m Freestyle. These results secured Bronte individual berths in the 200m and 400m Freestyle in London, as well as the 4 x 200m Freestyle relay team.

 

PERSONAL INFORMATION

Date of Birth: 8th February, 1989
Height: 1.71m
Coach: Michael Bohl

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

2012

• London Olympics 4×200 Freestyle -2nd
• London Olympics 200 Freestyle -3rd

2011

• Shanghai World Championships 4×200 Freestyle -2nd

2010

• Commonwealth Games, Delhi 4×200 freestyle -1st

2009

• Awarded an order of Australian Medal

2008

• Beijing Olympics 4×200 Freestyle -1st & World Record
• Beijing Olympics 400 Freestyle -5th & Australian Record
• Fairfax, Team Performance of the Year Award
• Australian Swimming ‘Magic Moment’ Award

2006

• Shanghai SC World Championships 4×200 freestyle -1st
• Shanghai SC World Championships 400 freestyle -2nd

2005

• Montreal World Championships 4×200 freestyle -2nd

Personal Bests

• 200m Freestyle: 1:56.60

• 400m Freestyle: 4:04.16 *Australian Record

• 800m Freestyle: 8:29.13