Dawn Fraser (born 4 September 1937) is an iconic Australian swimmer and a former politician. She was the first woman to win gold medals in the same event (100 m free) in three consecutive Olympics (1956, 1960, 1964). From 1956 to1964 she broke the women's world record for the 100 m freestyle race nine successive times, and her mark of 58.9 sec (1964) was unbroken until 1972.
In 1952, coach Harry Gallagher noted her awesome swimming ability and took over her training. Dawn won eight Olympic medals, including four golds. She also held the world record in the 100 m freestyle for 15 years (1 Dec 1956 to 8 Jan 1972). In October 1962, she became the first woman to swim 100 m free in less than a minute. During the 1964 Tokyo Games, Fraser angered swimming team sponsors and the Australian Swimming Union (ASU) by marching in the opening ceremony against their wishes, and wearing an older swimming suit in competition because it was more comfortable than the one supplied by the sponsors. She was also accused of stealing an Olympic flag from a flagpole outside Emperor Hirohito's palace, but after she apologized, the charges were dropped and the emperor gave her the flag as a gift. However, the ASU suspended her for ten years. They relented a few months before the 1968 Games but by then it was too late for Dawn to prepare.
Fraser was one of the bearers of the Olympic torch at the opening ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Games. She carried the Olympic torch at the stadium, as one of the bearers for the final segment, before the lighting of the Olympic Flame. She was given many honours during and after her swimming career. Among them. she was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire, and appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia. In 1999, the International Olympic Committee named her the World's Greatest Living Female Water Sports Champion, and in 2000 she was awarded the Australian Sports Medal for "outstanding contribution as a swimming competitor".
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