Leisel Jones
Leisel Jones
Leisel Marie Jones, OAMis an Australian former competition swimmer and Olympic gold medallist. 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 medalist for 100-meter breaststroke in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing...
ProfessionSwimmer
Date of Birth30 August 1985
alight cheering great
They're cheering so loud. It's responsible for a lot of the great performances out there. It's alight out there, it's a real buzz.
anyway bus later left minutes morning sleep start supposed
This morning did not start well, I got up later than I should have. I was supposed to have a sleep in anyway but I went to get on the bus and it had left 10 minutes early.
america
I think America has always had that (intimidation factor) in the past. Now, I think it has reversed a little bit. I think we are probably pretty intimidating (to others).
course distance good longer short start swimming
I think it's a good start for my short course swimming and it is even better for the longer distance games.
girls great tops
Great job, girls! It tops off great preparation we've had all week.
bit gave gone hard might
I gave everything and I think I might have gone out a bit hard in the first 100m.
sports believe race
Going into that race I was going for the world record, just quietly, but I wasn't feeling at my best all week so it was hard to determine what would happen. I could not believe it, I went into shock, I'm still in shock.
swimming limits wells
I can't control what everyone else swims but if all goes well I know there are no limits.
sports winning everyday
I used to beat myself up everyday if I did not win an event. I am quite open about those things now and that has been a big change.
sports swim desire
I'm really quite exhausted at the moment, but you never know, you are always surprised at what you can find sometimes, and maybe I will find something deep within to find the desire to swim fast
sports athlete people
It's easy to forget when you're an elite athlete that everyone else gets nervous as well. Even the best people in the world, at whatever they do, they're still nervous
sports media people
It took a lot of guts to change it and say 'I don't like the life that I'm living and I don't like the swimmer I am', so let's change it completely and say 'Look, I've got to learn to love myself'. And that's been a really hard thing to do because when you've done a performance that you're not proud of and the public and the media have criticized you.....people are really quick to make judgements so it was tough to say 'Well I don't care what you have to say. I'm going to do this for myself and if you don't like me after this, well then, it's too bad'.
sports motivational-sports thinking
I don't think I'm unbeatable, nobody is
sports good-friend three
I've achieved everything I ever wanted. I've done three Olympics, world championships, I've been around the world and made good friends. But I still have the inner drive to do more, to be not just good, but to be great.