Andrew “Boy”Charlton, Kieren Perkins And Priya Cooper Inducted Into Swimming Australia Hall Of Fame
Olympic 1500m freestyle legends, Manly’s pioneering powerhouse Andrew “Boy” Charlton and Queensland “Superfish” Kieren Perkins with WA’s Paralympic golden girl Priya Cooper have today been unveiled as the latest inclusions into Swimming Australia’s Hall of Fame in Brisbane.
A BOY WHO CONQUERED A MAN’S WORLD: Andrew “Boy” Charlton 1924 Paris Photo Courtesy Official History Australian Olympic Committee:Harry Gordon
The trio become the ninth, tenth and 11th Hall of Fame inductees – joining original members Freddie Lane, Fanny Durack, Dawn Fraser, Shane Gould and Ian Thorpe from 2022 and 2023 inductees were Lorraine Crapp, Murray Rose and Susie O’Neill.
And their unveiling comes as Australia’s latest Olympic and Paralympic heroes from Paris were honoured at the 2024 Swimming Australia Awards function.
It is fitting that Charlton receives his inclusion in 2024 – celebrating the 100th anniversary of his monumental 1500m freestyle gold medal in Paris in 1924 – and inducted alongside the modern day 1500m marvel in Perkins – the winner of two gold and a silver in Australia’s race in 1992, 1996 and 2000, when he was second to another all-time great in Grant Hackett – Perkins 1996 gold from lane eight a race that not only stopped the nation but a race that is regarded as arguably one of the greatest in Olympic history.
RARE GOLD IN 1996 FROM LANE EIGHT IN ATLANTA: Photo Courtesy: Hanson Media Collection (Russ McPhedran)
Because of his extreme youth, an adoring swimming public anointed him ‘Boy’ – born into a middle class family, it was in the summer of 1922/23 that Charlton charged into the company of champions, swimming 19 seconds inside the world record to win the NSW half mile senior title, at the age of 15.
Perkins developed into one of Australia’s greatest distance swimmers. He broke 11 world records and is the first person in history to hold the Olympic, world, Commonwealth and Pan Pacific titles simultaneously. He broke over 40 Australian records during a career spanning from 1989 to 2000.
While Cooper competed at three Paralympic Games in the S8 category, winning a total of nine gold medals, three silver and four bronze and setting five world records. Over her career she has held world records from 50-800 Freestyle, 100,200 backstroke and 200 Individual Medley both short and long course.
Priya Cooper Courtesy of Paralympics Australia.