Grant Hackett: Australia’s long distance Champion swimmer
Australian Grant Hackett is considered to be one of the most famous former long distance swimming champions. He is famous for winning the 1500m freestyle races throughout his amazing career. Hackett remained unbeaten for his main event from 1997 to 2007.
His brilliant long distance swimming performances are some of the most noteworthy in recent times.
Hackett gained prominence in the international swimming world with his debut at the 1997 Pan Pacific Championships, where he won the 1500m freestyle followed by a gold medal in the 400m freestyle. Hackett managed to defeat the yet to be famous Ian Thorpe
at the long course championships.
The Australian won two gold medals in the 1500m freestyle and the 4*200m freestyle, as he took the bronze medal in the 400m freestyle at the1997 World Short Course Championships.
At the 1998 Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games, Hackett retained his 1500m freestyle title accompanied by a gold medal in the 4*200m freestyle relay and an achievement in 400m freestyle this time, where Hackett won a silver medal. He maintained the same, at
the Perth World Championships in the same year.
Hackett unexpectedly broke the world record of 200m freestyle leading off his club relay team at the 1999 Australian Championships. This record was improved by Ian Thorpe in the same year whereas Hackett improved his mark behind him.
At the 1999 Pan Pacific Championships, Hackett earned two gold medals in the 1500m freestyle and the 4*200m freestyle relay and a silver medal in the 400m freestyle. Later in the same year at the World Championships, Hackett won two gold medals in the 1500m
freestyle and in the 400m freestyle events.
Then in the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Hackett was believed to win his main event and was expected to give a tough time to Ian Thorpe in the 200m and 400m freestyle, but due to a viral infection, he finished eighth and seventh. As a result, Hackett was also replaced
from the 4*200m freestyle relay team by Todd Pearson. But he qualified third behind the crowd’s favorite Kieren Perkins in the 1500m freestyle. At the time of the 1500m final, Perkins being vocally cheered by the crowd put immense pressure on Hackett and as
a result he took up a more attacking and fast starting approach to win a gold medal in his main event.
Hackett remained overshadowed by his fellow Australian, Ian Thorpe, in the shorter distances, as he remained dominating in the longer distances.
In the 2001 Goodwill Games, Hackett earned a gold medal in the 1500m freestyle and 200m freestyle and a silver medal in the 400m freestyle.
At the 2001 World Championships in Fukuoka, Hackett was in his peak performance, setting his personal bests in 200m, 400m and 1500m freestyle events. He finished second to Thorpe in the 400m freestyle. Hackett along with Thorpe, Klim and Kirby improved the
world record for 4*200m freestyle relay. In the the 1500m freestyle, Hackett broke the world record of Perkins by 7 seconds to claim the gold medal. It is currently the oldest surviving world record in the history of swimming.
Hackett won the gold medals in the 1500m freestyle, 4*100m freestyle relay and 4*200m freestyle relay and two silver medals in the 400m freestyle and 200m freestyle at the 2002 Commonwealth Games.
The Australian swimmer continued his amazing performance in the 2003 World Championships, as he won two gold medals in his events and one silver and one bronze medal in the 400m freestyle and 200m freestyle events.
He won gold in his main event and two silver medals in the 400m freestyle and 4*200m freestyle relay at the 2004 Athens Olympics. Hackett also won two gold medals in his events and a bronze in the 4*200m freestyle relay at the 2005 World Championships.
Then at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Hackett for the first time in his life lost the 1500m freestyle to Oussama Mellouli, who beat Hackett by just 0.69. Moreover, Hackett won a bronze medal in the 4*200m freestyle relay being a part of Australian relay team.
After the 2008 Olympics, Hackett then retired from the sport saying, “I have been doing this for a long time... and it is now all just a memory for me.” Hackett’s amazing swimming career has earned him the admiration and recognition of many of the top swimmers
from around the world.
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