Emily Seebohm: Australia’s multi-stroke specialist
Emily Seebohm is considered one of the most gifted Australian swimmers, who have contributed many awards and accolades to the Australian collection with her dominating performances at the various levels of world stages. Seebohm has proved her medal-winning
performance at every international level throughout her career.
Seebohm has the honour to represent Australia at the international stages of Olympic Games, World Long Course Championships, Commonwealth Games and the Pan Pacific Games in the events of freestyle, back-stroke, butterfly and the individual medley.
Seebohm broke several age-group records in the butterfly, freestyle and the individual medley during her participation in the junior international championships. Her outstanding performance at the junior level brought her to the senior international swimming
in 2007, where she qualified to represent her country in the events of 50m back-stroke, 100m back-stroke and the 4*100m medley relay. Seebohm finished fourth in the 100m back-stroke final, but failed to make her way to the finals of 50m back-stroke and finished
14th in the event. However, her aggressive swimming stroke and gruelling strategy helped Australia to conquer the top of the podium for the gold medal in the 4*100m medley relay.
The year following 2007, Seebohm was only 0.01 seconds away from the world record, but improved the Australian record for the 50m back-stroke with a timing of 28.10 seconds. The 18-year-old Seebohm then adopted a more extensive swimming programme, as she
aimed to break the world record of 50m back-stroke. Her dynamic swimming techniques and perfect stroke enabled her to lower the world record of the 50m event in a time of 27.95 seconds at the 2008 Australian Swimming Championships. Her performance at the national
championships qualified her for the Australian Swimming team to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Seebohm won a gold medal in the 4*100m medley relay, but she failed to qualify for the 100m back-stroke final, as she finished ninth in the preliminary rounds.
In 2009, her failure in the individual event made her thirsty to own the crown at the world championships. Seebohm then reconfigured her swimming strategy, putting more emphasis on her start, turns and increasing the reach of stroke. The new modification
in her swimming style enabled her to reach the podium at the 2009 World Championships in Rome. Seebohm won a bronze medal in the 100m back-stroke with a timing of 58.88 seconds and a silver medal in the 4*100m medley relay being a part of the Australian relay
team. She also improved her overall world ranking for the 50m back-stroke by finishing seventh in the 50m event while she finished 15th in the 200m individual medley.
In 2010, Seebohm’s performance escalated and she won two gold medals and four silver medals at the 2010 Pan Pacific Championships in Irvine. For the first time Seebohm climbed the podium six times at an international competition. She won two gold medals
in the 100m back-stroke and the 200m individual medley while she conquered four silver medals in the 100m butterfly, 50m butterfly, 4*100m freestyle relay and 4*100m medley relay.
Her performance coupled with the excelled determination, qualified her to the Australian squad to compete at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi. She represented Australia in eight events and reached the podium for all of them. Seebohm won three gold medals
in the 100m back-stroke and the two relay events. She won silver medals in the 100m freestyle and the 200m IM whereas three bronze medals in the 50m back-stroke, 200m back-stroke and the 50m butterfly.
Now in 2011, Australian Championships, Seebohm has qualified to represent Australia at the 2011 Shanghai World Championships in July. The 18-year-old Australian aims to conquer the podium in her main events at the World Championship.
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