- Australian swimmer Kieren Perkins still looks in great shape
- Famous winner of gold in 1500m freestyle at the 1992 and 1996 Olympic Games.
- The 1996 Atlanta swimmer shocked the world when she won from lane eight.
He’s largely been out of the spotlight since becoming an Australian sporting legend after impressively winning gold at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, and “Superfish” Kieren Perkins is still looking sharp some 28 years later.
The chief executive of the Australian Sports Commission posed with television presenter Mark Beretta in Paris on Thursday, and the veteran Channel Seven sports presenter was clearly impressed.
Taking over InstagramBeretta posted the image of the duo, which features the Eiffel Tower in the background.
Beretta captioned the photo: “When an Olympic legend comes to visit the Games, it’s extra special! Great to see Olympic gold medallist Kieren Perkins at Paris 2024. The CEO of the Sports Commission is here to give us a straight talk.”
Perkins, 50, was born in Brisbane and began training on the swim team at the age of eight as part of his rehabilitation from a serious leg injury after going through a glass window as a youngster.
His talent was evident and Perkins claimed his first medal as a teenager at the 1989 Australian Championships, before heading to the Barcelona Olympics three years later as the men’s favourite in the 1500m freestyle.
The Queenslander delivered in Spain, touching the wall in an elegant time of 14:43.48.
Kieren Perkins is pictured (middle) after winning the 1500m at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
Perkins won from lane eight in the US to shock the field and back up his victory at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.
Perkins is currently the chief executive of the Australian Sports Commission (pictured left, with TV personality Mark Beretta in Paris this week).
Four years later came possibly Perkins’ greatest feat in the pool.
Out of form and lucky enough to qualify for the final (from lane eight) in Atlanta, Perkins showed his class when it mattered, tearing through the field to once again win Olympic gold.
Swimming for history secured Perkins’ status as an Olympic legend and, incredibly, he returned to compete at the 2000 Sydney Olympics as an “elder statesman” on the Dolphins team at the age of 27.
Fellow Australian Grant Hackett denied Perkins a historic hat-trick in the 1500m final by finishing with a silver medal, but his legacy lives on.
After retiring from swimming in 2000, Perkins was inducted into the Australian Sports Hall of Fame two years later.
In 2020, Perkins was appointed President of Swimming Australia (SA) before taking up his current role as CEO of the Australian Sports Commission.
Perkins has sparked controversy in recent years after declaring that transgender athletes are “incredibly misunderstood” in her eyes.