Fanny Durack

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Fanny Durack (Sarah Frances Durack; 27 October 1889 – 20 March 1956) was an Australian swimmer who became the first Australian woman to win Olympic gold in swimming. Born in Sydney, she learned to swim at Coogee Baths and quickly dominated Australian competition, starting with her first title in 1906.

Durack and Mina Wylie helped pave the way for women in competitive swimming. In 1912, when women’s swimming debuted at the Olympics in Stockholm, Durack and Wylie funded their trip themselves after the New South Wales Ladies Swimming Association initially refused to allow them to compete. Durack won the 100-meter freestyle, setting a world record in the heats and becoming Australia’s first Olympic swimming gold medalist.

From 1910 to 1918, Durack was considered the world’s greatest female swimmer across all distances, from sprints to the mile. She set multiple world records, including:
- 100 meters freestyle (long course) – 1912 to 1920
- 200 meters freestyle – 1915 to 1921
- 220 yards freestyle – 1915 to 1921
- 500 meters freestyle – 1916 to 1917
- 1 mile freestyle – 1914 to 1926
She also held many Australian and state records.

Durack planned to compete in the 1920 Antwerp Olympics but had appendicitis just before the team left, followed by typhoid fever and pneumonia, which prevented her participation.

She died in Sydney in 1956 and was buried at Waverley Cemetery with her husband Bernard Martin Gately. Her legacy includes the Fanny Durack Aquatic Centre in Petersham, Sydney, and several hall of fame recognitions: International Swimming Hall of Fame (1967), Victorian Honour Roll of Women (2001), and Swimming Australia Hall of Fame’s inaugural inductees (2022). Sarah Durack Avenue in Sydney’s Olympic Park is named in her honor.