1956 Olympic Games badge for Dawn Fraser (Swimming).
On 21 February 1956, 18-year-old Dawn Fraser broke Willy den Ouden’s 20-year-old world record for the 100m freestyle. She recalls an Olympic career that began on home soil in Melbourne in 1956:
“The Games in Melbourne were one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life; I can still remember walking into the Melbourne Cricket Ground with the Australian team for the Opening Ceremony and listening to the roar from the crowd. Melbourne was also the first time I’d ever swum in a heated pool, which was absolutely fantastic!
The 100m final was very competitive. I wasn’t overly confident, as there were some very good swimmers, such as Lorraine Crapp, and there were some very fast times in the semi-finals. I was hoping that I could do what my coach had asked me to do. Everything went to plan apart from my turn – I did a throwback turn instead of a tumble turn as I was a little bit inexperienced and a little bit scared.
It was not only phenomenal for me to win that first gold medal for myself, and my country, but also because my parents, my sister and brother-in-law were in the crowd. It was really the first time my mum and dad had seen me swim and I was very proud. Winning silver in the 400m and another gold in the relay was more than I ever expected.”