Ashley Callus facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Ashley Callus

Personal information
Born	(1979-03-10) 10 March 1979 (age 46) Brisbane, Queensland
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Weight	85 kg (187 lb)
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Strokes	Freestyle
Club	Redlands Swimming Club
Medal record Men's swimming Representing  Australia Olympic Games Gold 2000 Sydney 4×100 m freestyle Bronze 2008 Beijing 4×100 m freestyle World Championships (LC) Gold 2001 Fukuoka 4×100 m freestyle Gold 2001 Fukuoka 4×100 m medley World Championships (SC) Gold 2002 Moscow 100 m freestyle Gold 2006 Shanghai 4×100 m medley Silver 2002 Moscow 4×100 m medley Goodwill Games Gold 2001 Brisbane 4×100 m freestyle Silver 2001 Brisbane 100 m freestyle Pan Pacific Championships Gold 2002 Yokohama 4×100 m freestyle Silver 2002 Yokohama 100 m freestyle Commonwealth Games Gold 1998 Kuala Lumpur 4×100 m freestyle Gold 2002 Manchester 4×100 m freestyle Silver 2002 Manchester 100 m freestyle Silver 2006 Melbourne 4×100 m freestyle

Ashley John Callus is an Australian former freestyle swimmer. He was born on March 10, 1979. Ashley is famous for winning a gold medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. He was part of the 4 × 100 meter freestyle relay team.

Ashley grew up in Brisbane, Queensland. He went to Iona College. Early in his career, he often swam alongside famous Australian swimmers like Michael Klim and Chris Fydler. At 21, Ashley was chosen for his first Olympic Games in Sydney. This happened after he placed fourth in the 100-meter freestyle at the Australian Championships in 2000.

Ashley's Olympic Debut in 2000

At the Sydney 2000 Olympics, Ashley Callus joined Michael Klim, Chris Fydler, and Ian Thorpe in the 4 × 100 meter freestyle relay. Many people did not expect Australia to win this event. The United States had always won this race at the Olympics.

However, with a huge home crowd cheering them on, the Australian team swam amazingly. Michael Klim started the race and set a new world record for his part. Chris Fydler kept the lead. Then, Ashley Callus took over, holding a small lead over American swimmer Jason Lezak. Ashley did a great job keeping ahead of the faster and more experienced Lezak. This gave Ian Thorpe a slight lead for the final leg.

Ian Thorpe then raced against Gary Hall Jr. and managed to win by a tiny margin. Australia won the gold medal and set a new world record time of 3 minutes and 13.67 seconds. This was almost two seconds faster than the old world record.

World Championships Success

In 2001, Ashley Callus continued his success at the World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan. He was part of the 4 × 100 meter freestyle relay team that won another gold medal, beating the United States. He also reached the finals in the 100-meter freestyle race.

The next year, 2002, was a big moment for Ashley. He won an individual gold medal at the World Short Course Championships in Moscow, Russia. This gold was for the 100-meter freestyle event.

Challenges and Comeback in 2004

In 2004, Ashley Callus qualified for the Athens Olympics. He was set to compete in the 50-meter and 100-meter freestyle races, as well as the relay events. However, at the Olympics, Ashley swam much slower than usual in his individual races. He did not even make it to the semi-finals.

Because of his slower performance, he was not chosen for the final of the 4 × 100 meter freestyle relay. Australia finished sixth in that race. Later, it was discovered that Ashley had been sick with the Epstein-Barr virus. He took a year off from swimming to get better.

Ashley returned to swimming in late 2005, feeling fully recovered. He was then selected to compete in the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.

More Medals in 2006

At the 2006 Commonwealth Games, Ashley Callus helped the 4 × 100 meter freestyle relay team win a silver medal. He also made it to the finals of both the 50-meter and 100-meter freestyle races. Although he did not swim his fastest times in these individual events, he showed he was back.

In April 2006, Ashley won another gold medal for Australia. This was at the 2006 World Short Course Championships in Shanghai, China. He was part of the 4 × 100 meter medley relay team.

Final Olympic Appearance in 2008

Ashley Callus competed in his third Olympic Games at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. He was again part of the Australian 4 × 100 meter freestyle relay team. This team won the bronze medal in a strong performance.

He also competed in the 50-meter freestyle race, finishing very close to a medal in fourth place. After these Games, Ashley announced that he would not be returning for a fourth Olympics.

Unexpected Return to Swimming

Despite saying he would not return, Ashley Callus made a surprising comeback in 2009. He competed at the Australian trials. He swam very fast times in the early rounds. However, he could not beat younger sprinters like Eamon Sullivan and Matthew Abood in the finals.

Later, Ashley made another unexpected return at the Australian short course championships. He set a new Australian record in the 50-meter freestyle. On November 26, 2009, at the International AIS meet, Ashley broke Eamon Sullivan's Australian record (which was also a former world record) in the men's 50-meter freestyle. He swam 21.24 seconds in the morning. Then, in the finals, he swam even faster, lowering the record to 21.19 seconds. This made him the third fastest swimmer in history at that time.

At the 2010 Telstra Trials, he won the 50-meter freestyle. At the 2010 Pan Pacs, he finished seventh. At the 2010 Commonwealth Games, he was unfortunately disqualified in the semi-finals. He said it was "bitterly disappointing" but accepted it as part of the sport.

Career Best Times

Ashley Callus achieved impressive times during his swimming career. Here are some of his best performances:

See also

In Spanish: Ashley Callus para niños

• List of Commonwealth Games medallists in swimming (men)
• List of Olympic medalists in swimming (men)
• World record progression 4 × 100 metres freestyle relay