Samantha Riley
Encyclopedia
Samantha Linette Riley is an Australian breaststroke swimmer of Aboriginal descent of the 1990s who competed for Australia in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics
and the 1996 Atlanta Olympics
, winning three medals. She trained under Scott Volkers at the Commercial Swimming Club
in Brisbane
.
Having been advised as a child to begin swimming to combat asthma
, the Brisbane
schoolgirl broke into the Australian team for the 1991 World Championships in Perth
, winning a silver medal in the medley relay. The following year, Riley won a bronze medal in the 100m breaststroke at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, as well as competing in the 200m event.
In 1994, Riley won both breaststroke events at the 1994 Commonwealth Games
in Victoria, Canada, and repeated the feat at the World Championships in Rome, Italy, setting a world record of 1min 07.69s in the 100m event. This prompted Swimming World magazine
to name her as the Female World Swimmer of the Year.
Riley continued to sweep all before her in 1995, but arrived for the Atlanta Olympics under the cloud of a doping controversy. She had failed a drug test, and was only exonerated after her coach Scott Volkers admitted to giving her a headache tablet which contained the banned substance. Under the pressure of the controversy, Riley performed well outside her personal best times, which would have been enough for gold. She collected a bronze in the 100m breaststroke. She also collected a silver medal in the 4x100m relay with Nicole Stevenson, Susie O'Neill and Sarah Ryan
.
Riley never stood on the podium again as an individual at the world level, but maintained her position in the Australian squad. Many anticipated her to return to her peak at the 2000 Sydney Olympics
, but a kidney infection disrupted her training and she was ousted from the team at the Selection Trials by 14-year old prodigy Leisel Jones
. She left the pool in tears, and subsequently retired.
At one stage during the mid 1990s, Riley was the girlfriend of Norwegian Olympic champion speedskater Johann Olav Koss
. This sparked media speculation that he would compete for Australia at the Winter Olympics.
The major artial Samantha Riley Drive in Beaumont Hills is named after her.
1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
and the 1996 Atlanta Olympics
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
, winning three medals. She trained under Scott Volkers at the Commercial Swimming Club
Commercial Swimming Club
Commercial Swimming Club is a swimming club that is based at the Fortitude Valley Pool in centre of Brisbane, Queensland. It is one of the most successful clubs in Australia and has produced many Olympic swimmers and medalists.- Notable athletes :...
in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
.
Having been advised as a child to begin swimming to combat asthma
Asthma
Asthma is the common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and bronchospasm. Symptoms include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath...
, the Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
schoolgirl broke into the Australian team for the 1991 World Championships in Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, winning a silver medal in the medley relay. The following year, Riley won a bronze medal in the 100m breaststroke at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, as well as competing in the 200m event.
In 1994, Riley won both breaststroke events at the 1994 Commonwealth Games
1994 Commonwealth Games
The 1994 Commonwealth Games were held in Victoria, in the province of British Columbia in Canada, from 18 August to 28 August 1994.The XV Commonwealth Games marked South Africa's return to the Commonwealth Games following the apartheid era, and over 30 years since the country last competed in the...
in Victoria, Canada, and repeated the feat at the World Championships in Rome, Italy, setting a world record of 1min 07.69s in the 100m event. This prompted Swimming World magazine
Swimming World magazine
Swimming World Magazine is an American-based monthly swimming magazine, that was first published in a magazine format as Junior Swimmer in January of 1960...
to name her as the Female World Swimmer of the Year.
Riley continued to sweep all before her in 1995, but arrived for the Atlanta Olympics under the cloud of a doping controversy. She had failed a drug test, and was only exonerated after her coach Scott Volkers admitted to giving her a headache tablet which contained the banned substance. Under the pressure of the controversy, Riley performed well outside her personal best times, which would have been enough for gold. She collected a bronze in the 100m breaststroke. She also collected a silver medal in the 4x100m relay with Nicole Stevenson, Susie O'Neill and Sarah Ryan
Sarah Ryan
Sarah Michelle Ryan OAM is a former Australian sprint freestyle swimmer, who won relay medals at three consecutive Olympics from the 1996 Atlanta Olympics to the 2004 Athens Olympics, but who was perhaps best known in Australia for her colourful long fingernails.-Career:Coming from Adelaide, South...
.
Riley never stood on the podium again as an individual at the world level, but maintained her position in the Australian squad. Many anticipated her to return to her peak at the 2000 Sydney Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
, but a kidney infection disrupted her training and she was ousted from the team at the Selection Trials by 14-year old prodigy Leisel Jones
Leisel Jones
Leisel Marie Jones OAM is an Australian Olympic gold medalist swimmer. A participant in the 2000 Summer Olympics – at just 15 years old – and 2004 Summer Olympics, she was part of gold medal winning Australian team in the women's 4 × 100 metre medley relay at the Athens Games in 2004 and a gold...
. She left the pool in tears, and subsequently retired.
At one stage during the mid 1990s, Riley was the girlfriend of Norwegian Olympic champion speedskater Johann Olav Koss
Johann Olav Koss
Johann Olav Koss is a former speed skater from Norway, considered to be one of the best in history, and current assistant coach of Norway's speed skating team.-Biography:...
. This sparked media speculation that he would compete for Australia at the Winter Olympics.
The major artial Samantha Riley Drive in Beaumont Hills is named after her.