Olivia Wunsch (born 31 May 2006) is an Australian swimmer. She competed at the 2024 Summer Olympics and won a gold medal in the 4×100m freestyle relay.

Olivia Wunsch
Personal information
Born (2006-05-31) 31 May 2006 (age 18)
North Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Sport
SportSwimming
ClubCarlile Swim Centre
Medal record
Women's swimming
Representing  Australia
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2024 Paris 4×100 m freestyle

Biography

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Wunsch was born on 31 May 2006 in North Sydney, New South Wales.[1][2] She started swimming at a young age for the Carlile Swim Centre in Ryde, where she still trains.[3] She competed in her first state swimming tournament age eight and in 2017, she won several national championships at the Pacific School Games in the butterfly and freestyle sprint competitions.[3] In 2018, Wunsch participated at the School Sport Australia National Championships and won seven medals; at the event in 2019, she helped her relay team win the gold medal while winning an individual medal herself in the 50m freestyle.[3]

Wunsch won three silver medals at the 2021 Age Nationals and later that year qualified for the Australian junior national team.[3] At the 2022 long course NSW State Age tournament, she won nine individual gold medals.[3] She then won five medals (three silver, two bronze) at the Age Nationals and qualified for the junior national team again, earning her a spot at the Junior Pan Pacific Championships where she participated in five events, winning three medals.[3] At the 2023 World Aquatics Junior Swimming Championships, Wunsch won six medals, including five gold, while she tied the championship record in the 50m freestyle and was part of the relay team setting the world junior record.[4][5][6][7]

Wunsch set several personal bests at the Australian Olympic swimming trials in 2024, qualifying her for the 2024 Summer Olympics.[4][8] At the Olympics, she was part of the team that won the gold medal in the 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay.[9]

References

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  1. ^ "Olivia Wunsch". Australian Olympic Committee.
  2. ^ "Olivia Wunsch". World Aquatics.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Olivia Wunsch". Sport Australia Hall of Fame.
  4. ^ a b Keith, Braden (14 June 2024). "With 5 Best Times in 5 Swims, 18-Year-Old Olivia Wunsch Is What's Next in Australia". SwimSwam.
  5. ^ Rieder, David (9 September 2023). "Following Stunning Relay Leg, Olivia Wunsch Rising Through Ranks of Australian Sprinting". Swimming World.
  6. ^ Overend, Riley (9 September 2023). "17-Year-Old Aussie Olivia Wunsch Ties World Jr. Champ Record in 50 Free (24.59)". SwimSwam.
  7. ^ "SwimScape: Olivia Wunsch takes on the world". NSW.Swimming.org.au. 29 September 2023.
  8. ^ McDonald, Mick (4 July 2024). "Olympian Olivia Wunsch to take on the relay battle in the pool at Paris". Manning River Times.
  9. ^ Saltau, Chloe (28 July 2024). "Flawless foursome: Australian women win fourth consecutive relay gold". The Sydney Morning Herald.