15 Facts About Michelle Ford

Michelle Jan Ford was born on 15 July 1962 and is an Australian former long-distance freestyle and butterfly swimmer of the 1970s and 1980s, who won a gold medal in the 800-metre freestyle, bronze in the 200-metre butterfly, and 4th in the 400-metres freestyle at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow.

Michelle Ford was the only non-Eastern Bloc female swimmer to win an individual gold medal at the 1980 games.

Michelle Ford set two world records in her career, and was the first Australian woman to win individual Olympic medals in two distinct specialised strokes.

Michelle Ford proceeded to compete at the Australian Championships, where she won the 200-metre butterfly, despite standing only 140 centimetres, setting another national and Commonwealth record in the process.

Michelle Ford set another Australian and Commonwealth record in the 200-metre butterfly.

At the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, Michelle Ford won gold in the 200-metre butterfly, silver in the 400-metres and 800-metre freestyle, bronze in the 200-metre freestyle and 4x100-metre freestyle relay.

In 1979, Michelle Ford missed the Australian Championships to concentrate on her final year of high school.

Michelle Ford then moved to Nashville, Tennessee, in the United States, to train and compete under Don Talbot on the American domestic circuit.

Michelle Ford won the 800- and the 1500-metre freestyle, and was second in the 200- and 400-metre freestyle at the 1980 Australian Championships to gain selection for the 1980 Moscow Olympics.

Michelle Ford chose to attend the games, competing in the 200-metre butterfly and the 400- and 800-metre freestyle.

Later, in her final event, the 800 m freestyle, Michelle Ford had qualified behind another East German, Ines Diers.

Michelle Ford made a slow start, lying in seventh at the 100-metre mark before snatching the lead from Diers at the 200-metre mark and extending it to a 3.65-second victory winning Olympic gold medal and claiming the Olympic Record.

In 1981, Michelle Ford attended the University of Wollongong until taking up a scholarship at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, where she completed a bachelor's degree in business communication and a master's degree in sports psychology.

Michelle Ford was one of 30 athletes to be invited by President Samaranch to the Olympic Congress in Baden Baden and became one of the inaugural members of the IOC Athletes Commission.

Michelle Ford was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1982, and was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame as an "Honour Swimmer" in 1994.