James Magnussen

Olympic medal winner James Magnussen is a retired professional swimmer and 100 metre freestyle world champion, having won 15 major international competition medals.

After swimming throughout his youth, Magnussen worked his way up the ranks and eventually qualified for the Australian Swimming Championships in 2010. The same year saw him compete in the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, taking a gold medal. The following year he qualified for the World Championships for the first time, winning three medals including two golds in his debut at the tournament. His meteoric rise continued with qualification for the 2012 Olympic Games in London, winning a silver and a bronze at the competition and becoming a household name. Magnussen continued to put in strong performances over the next few years, taking home medals at the FINA World Cup and 2013 World Championships, including a silver in the 4x100m relay. Another Commonwealth Games gold medal followed in 2014, as well as qualification for his second Olympic Games in 2016. He took a bronze at the Rio de Janeiro competition, and yet another gold medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games before retiring from the pool aged 28.

Since leaving the world of professional swimming, Magnussen has appeared as a participant on SAS: Who Dares Wins Australia and is now a fitness and wellbeing influencer on Instagram. He remains a popular sportsman and public figure with fans around the world.