Australian · Gdańsk, Poland · Born 13 August 1977Australian sprint freestyle/butterfly star who set world records at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and was a dominant relay swimmer through the late 1990s-2000s.
Born in Gdańsk, Poland, on 18 August 1977, Michael Klim moved with his family through India, Canada and Germany before settling in Australia, where he took up competitive swimming. He specialised in freestyle and butterfly, making his Olympic debut at Atlanta 1996 and winning bronze in the medley relay. Klim set the first of his 21 career world records in late 1996 and broke through individually in 1998, winning a record haul of seven medals (four gold) at the World Championships in Perth in front of a home crowd. His signature Olympic moment came at Sydney 2000, where his world-record lead-off leg powered Australia to victory over the United States in the 4x100m freestyle relay — snapping American dominance in the event — and he added a second relay gold in the 4x200m freestyle, plus individual silvers in the 100m butterfly and medley relay. After a series of injuries slowed his early 2000s, Klim returned for a third Olympics at Athens 2004, winning silver in the 4x200m freestyle relay as one of three Australian triple Olympians on the team. He continued competing into his thirties, adding more relay medals at the 2006 Commonwealth Games before retiring in 2007. Klim was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 2022. Since retiring, he has built a career in business and media, including founding the skincare brand Milk & Co.
Creator of straight-arm freestyle technique; multi-world-record holder
How They Played
Powerful freestyle and butterfly sprinter, especially strong in relay lead-off legs
Lasting Impact
One of Australia's greatest relay swimmers and a symbol of the country's swimming renaissance around 2000
Career Honours
- 1998 Worlds 200m free & 100m fly gold
- 2000 Olympics 4x100 free relay WR (leadoff) & 4x200 free relay WR
- 2001 Worlds relay golds
Australian Athletes