Jacqueline Freney

Jacqueline Rose "Jacqui" Freney OAM (born 6 June 1992) is an Australian Paralympic swimmer. At the 2012 London Games, she broke Siobhan Paton's Australian record of six gold medals at a single Games by winning her seventh gold medal in the Women's 400 m Freestyle S7. She finished the Games with eight gold medals, more than any other participant in the Games.

Jacqueline Freney
2012 Australian Paralympic team portrait of Freney
Personal information
Full nameJacqueline Rose Freney
Nationality Australia
Born (1992-06-06) 6 June 1992
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesBackstroke, Freestyle, Medley
ClassificationsS7, SB7, SM7
ClubRichmond Valley
CoachMichael Freney
Medal record
Women's paralympic swimming
Representing  Australia
Paralympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2012 London 50 m freestyle S7
Gold medal – first place 2012 London 100 m freestyle S7
Gold medal – first place 2012 London 400 m freestyle S7
Gold medal – first place 2012 London 100 m backstroke S7
Gold medal – first place 2012 London 50 m butterfly S7
Gold medal – first place 2012 London 200 m medley SM7
Gold medal – first place 2012 London 4×100 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 2012 London 4×100 m medley
Bronze medal – third place 2008 Beijing 50 m freestyle S8
Bronze medal – third place 2008 Beijing 100 m freestyle S8
Bronze medal – third place 2008 Beijing 400 m freestyle S8
World Championships (LC)
Silver medal – second place 2010 Eindhoven 100 m freestyle S8
Silver medal – second place 2010 Eindhoven 400 m freestyle S8
World Championships (SC)
Silver medal – second place 2009 Rio de Janeiro 100 m freestyle S8
Silver medal – second place 2009 Rio de Janeiro 400 m freestyle S8
Silver medal – second place 2009 Rio de Janeiro 100 m backstroke S8
Silver medal – second place 2009 Rio de Janeiro 100 m butterfly S8
Bronze medal – third place 2009 Rio de Janeiro 50 m freestyle S8
Bronze medal – third place 2009 Rio de Janeiro 4×100 m freestyle relay 34 pts

Biography
Freney at the 2012 London Paralympics

Jacqueline Rose Freney was born in Brisbane, Queensland with cerebral palsy diplegia.[1][2] She won three bronze medals at the 2008 Beijing Games in the women's 100m freestyle S8 event, 400m freestyle S8 event and 50m freestyle S8 event.[3] In 2012 at the London Paralympic Games she won 8 gold medals in the women's 100m backstroke S7, women's 50m butterfly S7, 100m freestyle S7, 400m freestyle S7, 50m freestyle S7, 200m individual medley SM7, 4 × 100 m freestyle relay 34 pts, and the 4 × 100 m medleyrelay event. She broke Siobhan Paton's Australian record of six gold medals at a single Games by winning her seventh gold medal in the Women's 400 m Freestyle S7.[4] In breaking the record she said "Seven, I am in heaven".[4] She finished the Games with eight gold medals, more than any other participant in the games.[5]

Freney lives in Skenners Head, Ballina, New South Wales, and is coached by her father Michael.[1] Her grandfather Peter Freney coached 2000 Sydney Games multiple gold medallist Siobhan Paton.[1] Freney's grandfather now assists in her career development. In 2008, she was awarded an Australian Institute of Sport paralympic swimming scholarship.[1]

At the 2010 IPC Swimming World Championships in Eindhoven, Netherlands, she won silver medals in the women's 100m freestyle and 400m freestyle events S8 events. In 2011, a week before the Can-Am Swimming Open, Freney was reclassified from S8 to S7. At the 2011 Can-Am Swimming Open in La Mirada, she set a world record in the S7 400m freestyle event twice, once during the heats and again during the finals with a time of 4:59.95 on her way to winning a gold medal. At the Can-Am Swimming Open, she won two silver medals in the S7 50m and 100m freestyle events.[6]

Freney was unable to compete at the 2016 Summer Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro due to a medical issue. Freney had been suffering from electromagnetic sensations triggered by strenuous training and was unable to find an answer as to why this issue occurred.[7]

Recognition
Freney receives the trophy as the 2012 Australian Paralympian of the Year from the Australian Minister for Sport Kate Lundy

In February 2012 Freney was named Ballina Shire's Sportsperson of the Year.[8] She was a finalist for the 2012 Australian Paralympian of the Year,[5] and won both best female and the top overall honour.[9] In 2012, Freney was declared Paralympian of the Year by Australia Post and this achievement was celebrated with the release of a commemorative stamp which featured the inspirational athlete.[10] In November 2013 she was named New South Wales Young Australian of the Year for 2014.[11] On 25 January 2014 she was named Young Australian of the Year.[12] The following day she was also awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia "For service to sport as a gold medallist at the London 2012 Paralympic Games".[2] In October 2014 she was inducted into the Path of Champions at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre.[13]

Freney earned her Young Australian of the Year award in 2014 by being actively involved in the community, working with Swimming Australia as a motivational speaker to help people with disabilities to reach their true potential.[14]

References
  1. "IPC Profile – Jacqueline Freney". International Paralympic Committee Website. International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 3 January 2014. Retrieved 12 March 2012.
  2. "Australia Day honours list 2014: in full". Daily Telegraph. 26 January 2014. Archived from the original on 22 June 2014. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  3. "Athlete Search Results". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 5 October 2011.
  4. "Freney already thinking about Rio Olympics". Sydney Morning Herald. 7 September 2012. Retrieved 6 September 2012.
  5. "Freney favourite to win top Paralympian". AAP. 5 November 2012. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
  6. "Sport News". Paralympic.org. 12 December 2011. Archived from the original on 11 August 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  7. Hecht, Hannah (4 April 2016). "8-Time London Gold Medalist Freney Won't Swim Rio Paralympic Games". Archived from the original on 4 August 2017. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
  8. "Freney is a top sport". Ballina Shire Advocate. 12 February 2012. Archived from the original on 3 September 2012. Retrieved 12 March 2012.
  9. Foreman, Glen (9 November 2013). "Jacqueline Freney named Paralympian of Year". Courier Mail. Retrieved 19 November 2013.
  10. "Paralympian of the Year, Jacqueline Freney celebrated by Australia Post". Australia Post. 9 November 2012. Archived from the original on 4 August 2017. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
  11. "Jacqui Freney named NSW's Young Australian of the Year". Coffs Harbour Advocate. 19 November 2013. Archived from the original on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 19 November 2013.
  12. "Paralympian Young Australian of the Year". Sky News Australia. 26 January 2014. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  13. "Olympic and World Champion swimmers inducted into Path of Champions". Swimming Australia News, 21 October 2014. Archived from the original on 20 September 2016. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  14. "Australian of the Year Awards". Archived from the original on 4 August 2017. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
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