Leisel Jones facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Leisel Jones
OAM

Jones in 2018
Personal information
Birth name	Leisel Marie Jones
Nickname(s)	"Diesel", "Lethal Leisel"
Born	(1985-08-30) 30 August 1985 (age 39) Katherine, Northern Territory, Australia
Height	174 cm
Weight	68 kg
Spouse(s)	Damon Martin ​ (m. 2018)​
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Strokes	Breaststroke
Medal record Representing  Australia Women's swimming Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 3 5 1 World Championships (LC) 7 4 3 World Championships (SC) 0 1 1 Pan Pacific Championships 1 4 1 Commonwealth Games 10 1 0 Total 21 15 6 Women's swimming Representing  Australia Olympic Games Gold 2004 Athens 4×100 m medley Gold 2008 Beijing 100 m breaststroke Gold 2008 Beijing 4×100 m medley Silver 2000 Sydney 100 m breaststroke Silver 2000 Sydney 4×100 m medley Silver 2004 Athens 200 m breaststroke Silver 2008 Beijing 200 m breaststroke Silver 2012 London 4×100 m medley Bronze 2004 Athens 100 m breaststroke World Championships (LC) Gold 2001 Fukuoka 4×100 m medley Gold 2005 Montreal 100 m breaststroke Gold 2005 Montreal 200 m breaststroke Gold 2005 Montreal 4×100 m medley Gold 2007 Melbourne 100 m breaststroke Gold 2007 Melbourne 200 m breaststroke Gold 2007 Melbourne 4×100 m medley Silver 2001 Fukuoka 100 m breaststroke Silver 2003 Barcelona 200 m breaststroke Silver 2007 Melbourne 50 m breaststroke Silver 2011 Shanghai 100 m breaststroke Bronze 2003 Barcelona 100 m breaststroke Bronze 2003 Barcelona 4×100 m medley Bronze 2011 Shanghai 4×100 m medley World Championships (SC) Silver 2010 Dubai 100 m breaststroke Bronze 2010 Dubai 4×100 m medley Pan Pacific Championships Gold 2002 Yokohama 4×100 m medley Silver 2002 Yokohama 200 m breaststroke Silver 2010 Irvine 100 m breaststroke Silver 2010 Irvine 200 m breaststroke Silver 2010 Irvine 4×100 m medley Bronze 2010 Irvine 50 m breaststroke Commonwealth Games Gold 2002 Manchester 100 m breaststroke Gold 2002 Manchester 200 m breaststroke Gold 2002 Manchester 4×100 m medley Gold 2006 Melbourne 50 m breaststroke Gold 2006 Melbourne 100 m breaststroke Gold 2006 Melbourne 200 m breaststroke Gold 2006 Melbourne 4×100 m medley Gold 2010 Delhi 100 m breaststroke Gold 2010 Delhi 2010 Delhi Gold 2010 Delhi 2010 Delhi Silver 2010 Delhi 50 m breaststroke

Leisel Jones is an amazing Australian swimmer. She is famous for her breaststroke technique. Leisel won many medals, including Olympic gold. She was only 15 years old when she first competed in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.

Leisel made history by becoming the first Australian swimmer to compete in four Olympic Games. This happened at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. She won a total of nine Olympic medals during her career.

About Leisel Jones

Leisel Marie Jones was born on August 30, 1985, in Katherine, Northern Territory, Australia. She was given nicknames like "Diesel" and "Lethal Leisel" because of her powerful swimming. Leisel is known for her unique breaststroke style. She used a slower but deeper stroke, and her starts were often slow. Many experts consider her one of the best breaststroke swimmers ever.

Early Life and Training

Leisel trained at the Redcliffe club in Scarborough, Queensland. Her coach was Ken Wood. She trained with other top Australian swimmers like Geoff Huegill and Jessicah Schipper. After the 2004 Olympics, Leisel moved to Brisbane. She trained with coach Stephan Widmar at the Commercial Swimming Club. This move helped her overcome challenges she faced from being famous at a young age.

In 2009, Leisel became a supporter of the World Animal Protection campaign against whaling. She retired from swimming in November 2012. After retiring, she planned to study psychology at university. In 2015, Leisel wrote a book about her life called Body Lengths.

Leisel's Swimming Journey

Leisel was chosen for the Australian team when she was just 14. She won the 100-metre breaststroke at the Australian Championships in May 2000. This win helped her qualify for the Olympics.

Sydney 2000 Olympics

At the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Leisel surprised everyone. She swam her fastest time in the 100-metre breaststroke final. She won a silver medal, finishing second to American Megan Quann. Leisel also helped the Australian team win a silver medal in the 4×100-metre medley relay. After these Olympics, Leisel left school at age 15 to focus completely on swimming.

World Championships Success

In 2001, Leisel competed at the 2001 World Aquatics Championships in Japan. She won a silver medal in the 100-metre breaststroke. She also helped her team win a gold medal in the 4×100-metre medley relay. This was a big win because it was the first time the US women's team had been beaten in this event at a world or Olympic level.

In 2002, Leisel won her first international titles. She won both the 100-metre and 200-metre breaststroke events at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in England. Australia also won the medley relay.

At the 2003 World Aquatics Championships in Spain, Leisel set a world record in the 100-metre breaststroke semifinals. However, she finished third in the final. She also won a silver medal in the 200-metre breaststroke and a bronze in the medley relay.

Athens 2004 Olympics

Before the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Leisel set a world record in the 200-metre breaststroke. This made people expect great things from her. In Athens, she was the fastest swimmer in the 100-metre breaststroke semifinals. She set an Olympic record. But in the final, she won a bronze medal. In the 200-metre breaststroke, she won a silver medal. Leisel finally won her first Olympic gold medal with the Australian team in the 4×100-metre medley relay.

Dominating the Breaststroke

In 2005, Leisel won her first individual gold medal at a World Championships. She won the 100-metre breaststroke at the 2005 World Aquatics Championships in Canada. She also broke the world record for the 200-metre breaststroke and won gold. For her amazing efforts, she was named the Female World Swimmer of the Year in 2005.

Leisel continued her success at the 2006 Australian Commonwealth Games Swimming Trials. She broke her own world records in both the 100-metre and 200-metre breaststroke events.

At the 2006 Commonwealth Games, Leisel won all three breaststroke events (50-, 100-, and 200-metre). This was the first time any swimmer had done this in the breaststroke events at the Commonwealth Games. She also won a fourth gold medal in the 4×100-metre medley relay, setting another world record.

In 2007, Leisel won three more gold medals at the World Championships. She won the 100-metre and 200-metre breaststroke, and the 4×100-metre medley relay. She also won a silver medal in the 50-metre breaststroke.

Beijing 2008 Olympics

Leisel Jones in 2008

Leisel won a gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in the 100-metre breaststroke. She finished far ahead of her rivals. She was expected to win the 200-metre breaststroke too, but she won a silver medal instead. Leisel also won another gold medal with the Australian team in the 4×100-metre medley relay. The team broke the previous world record by three seconds.

London 2012 Olympics

Leisel aimed to compete in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. She qualified by winning the 50-, 100-, and 200-metre breaststroke events at the 2010 Australian Swimming Championships.

At the 2010 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, Leisel won three silver medals and one bronze. She earned her spot for the 2012 London Olympics. This made her the first Australian swimmer to compete in four Olympic Games. She won her ninth Olympic medal, a silver, in the 4×100-metre medley relay.

Life After Swimming

Leisel Jones officially retired from swimming on November 16, 2012. In 2015, she appeared on the Australian TV show I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! (Australian TV series). In 2016, she completed a Nutrition Coach course. She now shares her knowledge about healthy eating.

Awards and Recognition

Leisel Jones has received many awards for her amazing swimming career:

• 2004 – Awarded the Order of Australia for her service to sport.
• 2005 & 2006 – Named World Swimmer of the Year.
• 2006 – Named Australian Swimmer of the Year.
• 2015 – Inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.
• 2017 – Inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame.

See also

In Spanish: Leisel Jones para niños

• List of Australian records in swimming
• List of Commonwealth Games records in swimming
• List of multiple Summer Olympic medalists
• List of Olympic medalists in swimming (women)