Emily Seebohm

Emily Seebohm
OAM

Seebohm at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Personal information
Full name	Emily Jane Seebohm
National team	Australia
Born	(1992-06-05) 5 June 1992 (age 32) Adelaide, South Australia
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Weight	64 kg (141 lb)
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Strokes	Backstroke, freestyle, butterfly, medley
Club	Energy Standard Griffith University
Coach	Michael Bohl
Medal record Women's swimming Representing  Australia Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 3 3 1 World Championships (LC) 5 5 4 World Championships (SC) 0 5 5 Pan Pacific Championships 6 6 0 Commonwealth Games 7 4 4 Total 21 23 14 Olympic Games 2008 Beijing 4×100 m medley 2012 London 4×100 m freestyle 2020 Tokyo 4×100 m medley 2012 London 100 m backstroke 2012 London 4×100 m medley 2016 Rio de Janeiro 4×100 m medley 2020 Tokyo 200 m backstroke World Championships (LC) 2007 Melbourne 4×100 m medley 2015 Kazan 100 m backstroke 2015 Kazan 200 m backstroke 2015 Kazan 4×100 m freestyle 2017 Budapest 200 m backstroke 2009 Rome 4×100 m medley 2013 Barcelona 100 m backstroke 2013 Barcelona 4×100 m freestyle 2013 Barcelona 4×100 m medley 2017 Budapest 4×100 m freestyle 2009 Rome 100 m backstroke 2015 Kazan 4×100 m medley 2017 Budapest 100 m backstroke 2017 Budapest 4×100 m medley World Championships (SC) 2014 Doha 50 m backstroke 2014 Doha 100 m backstroke 2014 Doha 200 m backstroke 2014 Doha 4×100 m medley 2016 Windsor 100 m medley 2014 Doha 100 m medley 2016 Windsor 200 m backstroke 2016 Windsor 4×100 m medley 2018 Hangzhou 200 m backstroke 2018 Hangzhou 4×50 m freestyle Pan Pacific Championships 2010 Irvine 100 m backstroke 2010 Irvine 200 m medley 2014 Gold Coast 100 m backstroke 2014 Gold Coast 4×100 m medley 2018 Tokyo 4×100 m freestyle 2018 Tokyo 4×100 m medley 2010 Irvine 100 m freestyle 2010 Irvine 50 m butterfly 2010 Irvine 4×100 m freestyle 2010 Irvine 4×100 m medley 2014 Gold Coast 200 m backstroke 2018 Tokyo 100 m backstroke Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi 100 m backstroke 2010 Delhi 4×100 m freestyle 2010 Delhi 4×100 m medley 2014 Glasgow 100 m backstroke 2014 Glasgow 4×100 m medley 2018 Gold Coast 50 m backstroke 2018 Gold Coast 4×100 m medley 2010 Delhi 100 m freestyle 2010 Delhi 200 m medley 2014 Glasgow 200 m backstroke 2018 Gold Coast 100 m backstroke 2010 Delhi 50 m backstroke 2010 Delhi 200 m backstroke 2010 Delhi 50 m butterfly 2018 Gold Coast 200 m backstroke

Emily Jane Seebohm, OAM (born 5 June 1992) is an Australian swimmer and television personality. She has appeared at four Olympic Games between 2008 and 2021; and won three Olympic gold medals, five world championship gold medals and seven Commonwealth Games gold medals.

In 2009, Seebohm was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia.^[1]

Seebohm appeared as a contestant in the 8th season of the Australian version of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! in January 2022. Later the same year, she competed on The Challenge: Australia, and in 2023 she competed on The Challenge: World Championship.^[2]

Early life and education

Seebohm was born on 5 June 1992 in Adelaide, South Australia. At age two, Seebohm and her family moved to Brisbane, Queensland so her mother Karen could coach swimming.^[3] Her father John Seebohm was also an accomplished footballer in the SANFL, who played over 300 games for the Glenelg Tigers. Growing up, Seebohm attended St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, St Margaret's Anglican Girls School and St John Fisher College, a Catholic school for girls.

Career

At the age of 14, Seebohm won the 100 m backstroke at the 2007 Australian Championships, the selection meet for the 2007 World Aquatics Championships. At the World Championships in Melbourne, Seebohm won a gold medal in the 4 × 100 m medley relay.^[4] She also placed fourth in the final of the 100 m backstroke and 14th in the 50 m backstroke.^[5][6]

Seebohm also won gold in both the 100 m backstroke and 4 × 100 m medley relay at the 2007 Junior Pan Pacific Swimming Championships.

On 6 March 2008 at the Brisbane Catholic Schoolgirls Championships, Seebohm broke the 50 m backstroke Commonwealth and Australian records with a time 28.10 seconds, missing Li Yang's then world record of 28.09 by one hundredth of a second.^[7]

On 22 March 2008, Seebohm broke the world record in the 50 m backstroke in the semi-finals of the 2008 Australian Championships, with a time of 27.95s, taking five hundredths of a second off Hayley McGregory's world record of 28.00^[7] set only 15 days earlier on 7 March 2008.^[8] A day later, this record was beaten again, this time by Australian Sophie Edington in a time of 27.67 seconds in the final of the same event.^[9] Seebohm decided not to swim in the final of this event as it is not an Olympic event and instead decided to focus on the semi-final of the 100 m backstroke. Her decision paid off when she became the first Australian woman to break the one-minute barrier in the event, her 59.78 making her the fifth-fastest of all-time.^[9] She then lowered the record to 59.58 s in the final, winning the Australian championship and gaining selection for the Olympic Games in Beijing.^[10]

At the 2008 Summer Olympics, Seebohm placed ninth overall in the 100 m backstroke, barely missing a spot in the final. Seebohm then swam in both the preliminaries and final of the 4 × 100 m medley relay, in which Australia won the gold medal.

At the 2009 World Aquatics Championships in Rome, Seebohm won the bronze medal in the 100 m backstroke with a time of 58.88.^[11][12] She also won silver in the 4 × 100 m medley relay,^[13] and placed 7th in the 50 m backstroke and 15th in the 200 m IM.^[14][15]

At the 2009 Australian Short Course Championships, Seebohm broke the world record in the 100 m IM in 58.54.^[16]

At the 2010 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, on the first night she defeated Olympic champion Natalie Coughlin in the 100 m backstroke, taking gold in championship record time, as well as taking silver in the 50 m butterfly. On the second night, she took silver in the 100 m freestyle in her first attempt at the event at international level. On night 3 she took another silver in the 4 × 100 m freestyle relay. Final night saw her take the gold in the 200 m individual medley, topping world champion and record holder Ariana Kukors. Later on in the night she broke the 100 m backstroke championship record in the lead off leg of the 4 × 100 m medley relay, Australia finished with silver. Later on in the year she collected 8 medals at the 2010 Commonwealth Games

Seebohm was tracked by the BBC as part of their series World Olympic Dreams, which followed her as she prepared for London 2012.

Seebohm wins 200m final in Kazan

At the 2012 London Olympics, Seebohm set a new Olympic record in a 100m backstroke qualifier and was heavily backed to win the gold in the final of the event but fell just short and gained a silver medal.

At the 2013 Australian Swimming Championships she won gold in the 50 m and 100 m backstroke and silver in 200 m individual medley and bronze in the 200 m backstroke events, qualifying for the 2013 World Aquatics Championships. At the World Championships, she teamed up with Bronte Campbell, Emma McKeon and Brittany Elmslie in the heats of the 4 × 100 m freestyle, finishing second in their heat and overall.^[17] In the final sisters Cate and Bronte Campbell, Emma McKeon and Alicia Coutts won the silver medal, finishing 0.12 seconds behind the United States.^[18]

At the 2016 Summer Olympics, Seebohm represented Australia in both the 100 m and 200 m backstroke and won silver in the 4 × 100 m medley relay.^[19][20]

In June 2021, Seebohm qualified for the 2020 Summer Olympics after finishing second in the 100m backstroke event at the Australian Olympic trials in a time of 58.59.^[21] The Tokyo Olympics were Seebohm's fourth consecutive Olympic Games, making her only one of three Australian swimmers to compete at four Olympic Games.^{[citation needed]} At those Olympics she won a gold medal in the 4 x 100 metre medley relay, and a bronze medal in 200 metre backstroke.^[22]

International Swimming League

In the Autumn of 2019 she was member of the inaugural International Swimming League swimming for the Energy Standard International Swim Club, who won the team title in Las Vegas, Nevada, in December.^[23]

Results in major championships

Meet	100 free	50 back	100 back	200 back	50 fly	200 medley	4×100 free	4×100 medley
WC 2007		14th	4th
OG 2008			9th
WC 2009		7th				15th
PP 2010		9th		WD^[a]
CG 2010
WC 2011		5th	4th
OG 2012
WC 2013		12th				WD^[b]
CG 2014		4th				7th
PP 2014						7th
WC 2015		4th				4th
OG 2016			7th	12th
WC 2017		4th				4th
CG 2018
PP 2018				6th
OG 2021			5th

^a Seebohm withdrew after the heat

^b Seebohm withdrew after the semi-final

Career best times

Long course metres (50 m pool)

As of 29 July 2017 ^[24]

Event	Time	Meet	Location	Date	Notes
50 m freestyle	25.05	2015 BHP Billiton Aquatic Super Series	Perth, Australia	30 January 2015
100 m freestyle	53.92	2015 World Aquatics Championships	Kazan, Russia	2 August 2015
200 m freestyle	1:59.95	2010 Australian Age Championships	Sydney, Australia	5 April 2010
50 m backstroke	27.37	2017 World Aquatics Championships	Budapest, Hungary	27 July 2017
100 m backstroke	58.23	2012 Summer Olympics	London, England	28 July 2012
200 m backstroke	2:05.68	2017 World Aquatics Championships	Budapest, Hungary	29 July 2017
50 m butterfly	26.05	2015 NSW State Open Championships	Sydney, Australia	27 February 2015
100 m butterfly	58.52	2010 Australian Age Group Championships	Sydney, Australia	5 April 2010
200 m individual medley	2:09.93	2010 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships	Irvine, California	21 August 2010

Short course metres (25 m pool)

As of 6 October 2018 ^[24]

Event	Time	Meet	Location	Date	Notes
50 m freestyle	24.27	2016 Australian Championships (25m)	Brisbane, Australia	4 November 2016
100 m freestyle	52.67	2015 Australian Championships (25m)	Sydney, Australia	26 November 2015
50 m backstroke	25.83	2014 FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m)	Doha, Qatar	7 December 2014
100 m backstroke	55.31	2014 FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m)	Doha, Qatar	4 December 2014
200 m backstroke	1:59.49	2015 Australian Championships (25m)	Sydney, Australia	26 November 2015
50 m breaststroke	29.96	2018 FINA Swimming World Cup	Budapest, Hungary	6 October 2018
50 m butterfly	25.65	2017 FINA Swimming World Cup	Berlin, Germany	6 August 2017
100 m butterfly	1:02.95	2017 FINA Swimming World Cup	Doha, Qatar	5 October 2017
100 m individual medley	57.97	2016 FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m)	Windsor, Canada	9 December 2016
200 m individual medley	2:05.46	2017 FINA Swimming World Cup	Singapore	18 November 2017

World records

Long course metres

No.	Event	Time		Meet	Location	Date	Status	Ref
1	4x100 m medley relay^[a]	3:55.74		2007 World Aquatics Championships	Melbourne, Australia	31 March 2007	Former	[25]
2	50 m backstroke	27.95	sf	Australian Swimming Championships	Sydney, Australia	22 March 2008	Former	[26]
3	4x100 m medley relay (2)^[b]	3:52.69		2008 Summer Olympics	Beijing, China	17 August 2008	Former	[27]

^a split 1:00.79 (1st leg); with Leisel Jones (2nd leg), Jessica Schipper (3rd leg), Libby Lenton (4th leg)
^b split 59.33 (1st leg); with Leisel Jones (2nd leg), Jessica Schipper (3rd leg), Libby Trickett (4th leg)

Short course metres

No.	Event	Time		Meet	Location	Date	Status	Ref
1	100 m individual medley	58.54		Australian Short Course Championships	Hobart, Australia	10 August 2009	Former	[28]

Legend: OC – Oceanian record; NR – Australian record;
Records not set in finals: h – heat; sf – semifinal; r – relay 1st leg; rh – relay heat 1st leg; b – B final; † – en route to final mark; tt – time trial

Olympic records

Long course metres

No.	Event	Time		Meet	Location	Date	Status	Notes	Ref
1	4x100 m medley relay^[a]	3:52.69		2008 Summer Olympics	Beijing, China	17 August 2008	Former	Former WR, OC, NR	[27]
2	100 m backstroke	58.23	h	2012 Summer Olympics	London, United Kingdom	29 July 2012	Former	Former OC, NR	[29]

Legend: WR – World record; OC – Oceanian record; NR – Australian record;
Records not set in finals: h – heat; sf – semifinal; r – relay 1st leg; rh – relay heat 1st leg; b – B final; † – en route to final mark; tt – time trial

^a split 59.33 (backstroke leg); with Leisel Jones (breaststroke leg ), Jessicah Schipper (butterfly leg), Libby Trickett (freestyle leg)

Personal life

In 2015, Seebohm began a relationship with fellow swimmer, Mitch Larkin. Seebohm announced their separation in July 2018.^[30] In 2019, Seebohm moved on with breakfast radio host David Lutteral, however after more than a year of dating, the pair split in March 2021.^[31][32] Seebohm confirmed in December 2022 that she was dating Ryan Gallagher, who she met while filming The Challenge Australia.^[33] In March 2023, the couple announced their engagement, and in September of the same year, their first child, a son, was born.^[34][35]

Seebohm, who has endometriosis, is an ambassador for the non-profit organisation Endometriosis Australia.^[36]

The Emily Seebohm Aquatic Centre, situated in the Brisbane suburb of Bracken Ridge, was named after the swimmer and officially opened in February 2016.^[37]

Filmography

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2022	I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!	Contestant	4th place
2022	The Challenge: Australia	Contestant	6th place
2023	The Challenge: World Championship	Contestant with Yes Duffy	5th place

See also

• List of Olympic medalists in swimming (women)
• List of World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming (women)
• List of Commonwealth Games medallists in swimming (women)
• World record progression 50 metres backstroke
• World record progression 100 metres individual medley
• World record progression 4 × 100 metres medley relay

References

1. "SEEBOHM, Emily Jane". It's An Honour. Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Archived from the original on 25 August 2009. Retrieved 16 January 2009.
2. "Meet The Cast Of The Challenge Australia 2022". 10 Play. 10 November 2022. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
3. "Emily Seebohm's athlete profile". Yahoo!7. Archived from the original on 22 March 2012.
4. "2007 World Championships results: Women's 4x100 m medley relay final" (PDF). 31 March 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 April 2007.
5. "2007 World Championships results: Women's 100 m backstroke final" (PDF). 27 March 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 April 2007.
6. "2007 World Championships results: Women's 50 m backstroke semifinals" (PDF). 28 March 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 April 2007.
7. "Rice and Seebohm smash world records". The Sydney Morning Herald. 22 March 2008. Retrieved 24 March 2008.
8. "McGregory breaks 50m backstroke world record". ABC News. 9 March 2008. Retrieved 24 March 2008.
9. Cowley, Michael (24 March 2008). "Teenager's hold on world time short-lived". The Age. Retrieved 24 March 2008. ^{[dead link‍]}
10. Alex Murdoch (25 March 2008). "Seebohm sends a warning to world champ Coughlin". The Daily Telegraph.
11. "2009 World Championships results: Women's 100 m backstroke final" (PDF). 28 July 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 August 2009.
12. Todd Balym (29 July 2009). "Seebohm slays Beijing demons with bronze". WA Today. Archived from the original on 27 September 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2009.
13. "2009 World Championships results: Women's 4x100 m medley relay final" (PDF). 1 August 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 August 2009.
14. "2009 World Championships results: Women's 50 m backstroke final" (PDF). 30 July 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 April 2012.
15. "2009 World Championships results: Women's 200 m IM semifinals" (PDF). 26 July 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 August 2009.
16. "Australian's Libby Trickett, Christian Sprenger and Emily Seebohm set world short-course marks". 10 August 2009.
17. "Heat results of Women's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay at the 2013 World Aquatics Championships" (pdf). Omega Timing. 28 July 2013. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
18. "Final results of Women's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay at the 2013 World Aquatics Championships" (pdf). Omega Timing. 28 July 2013. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
19. "Emily Seebohm". Australian Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on 27 June 2016. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
20. "Emily Seebohm". Rio 2016 Olympics. Australian Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on 25 February 2017. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
21. "Heartbreak behind teen's world record". NewsComAu. 13 June 2021. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
22. "Australian Olympic Team for Tokyo 2021". The Roar. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
23. "Club Rosters – International Swimming League". Archived from the original on 22 October 2019. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
24. "Emily SEEBOHM". World Aquatics. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
25. "World championships gold in 400-medley-relay". Swimming World Magazine. 31 March 2007. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
26. "Rice and Seebohm smash world records". Sydney Morning Herald. 23 March 2008. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
27. Linden, Julian (17 August 2008). "Australia wins women's medley relay". Reuters. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
28. "Three world records tumble at Australian championships". Reuters. 10 August 2009. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
29. "Seebohm breaks Olympic record". ABC News Australia. 29 July 2012. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
30. Price, Amy (13 July 2018). "Emily Seebohm, Mitch Larkin separate after two years". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
31. Price, Amy (20 August 2019). "Radio personality David Lutteral confirms relationship with Emily Seebohm". The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
32. Bednall, Jai (5 March 2021). "Emily Seebohm suffers second shock heartbreak after split with radio host". news.com.au. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
33. Price, Amy (5 December 2022). "Brisbane Olympian Emily Seebohm confirms she's dating comedian Ryan Gallagher". The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
34. Sellers, Wade (6 March 2023). "Ryan Gallagher and Emily Seebohm are engaged! They confirmed their relationship three months ago". Woman's Day. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
35. "Emily Seebohm gives birth to her first child with Ryan Gallagher". Who. 22 September 2023. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
36. "Emily Seebohm: I won Olympic golds with endometriosis. Anything is possible". Guardian Australia. 19 March 2017.
37. "The Emily Seebohm Aquatic Centre - Fitzgibbon". Brisbane City Council. Retrieved 8 July 2023.

External links

• Emily Seebohm at Swimming Australia (archived) (2016-10-22, 2015-09-06)
• Emily Seebohm at World Aquatics
• Emily Seebohm at the International Swimming League
• Emily Seebohm at Swimrankings.net
• Emily Seebohm at Olympics.com
• Emily Seebohm at Olympedia (archive)
• Emily Seebohm at the Australian Olympic Committee
• Emily Seebohm at Commonwealth Games Australia

Records
Preceded by Hayley McGregory	Women's 50 metre backstroke world record holder (long course) 22 March 2008 – 23 March 2008	Succeeded by Sophie Edington
Preceded by Natalie Coughlin	Women's 100 metres individual medley world record holder (short course) 10 August 2009 – 17 October 2009	Succeeded by Therese Alshammar
Awards
Preceded by Cate Campbell	Pacific Rim Swimmer of the Year 2015	Succeeded by Rie Kaneto