Michelle Pearson
Encyclopedia
Michelle Robyn Pearson (born 22 April 1962), was an Australia
n medley
and freestyle
swimmer of the 1980s, who won a bronze medal in the 200m individual medley at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics
. Her versatility saw her qualify for four finals.
Pearson made her international debut at the 1978 Commonwealth Games
in Edmonton
, Canada
, where she finalled in both the 200m and 400m individual medleys, finishing seventh and fifth respectively. She made her Olympic debut at the 1980 Summer Olympics
in Moscow
, where she was eliminated in the heats of the 100m freestyle. She was a part of the 4x100m freestyle relay team along with Lisa Curry, Rosemary Brown and Karen van de Graaf, which placed fifth in the final.
In 1981, Pearson became one of the first athletes in Australia to attend the newly established Australian Institute of Sport
(AIS). Pearson attend the AIS until 1986 and was named AIS Athlete of the Year in 1985.
At the 1982 Commonwealth Games
in Brisbane
, Pearson collected her first international medals, winning silver and bronze in the 400m and 200m individual medley respectively. Curry won both events.
Pearson had a good preparation for the 1984 Summer Olympics
, after winning two events at the American
Championships as a guest competitor. In the 200m individual medley, she trailed home the American duo of Tracy Caulkins
and Nancy Hogshead, edging out Curry by 0.83s to claim the bronze medal. Pearson narrowly missed a second silver in the 200m freestyle, finishing in a time of 1m 59.79s, just 0.1s slower than the bronze medallist Annemarie Verstappen
of The Netherlands. She also finished fifth in the 100m freestyle, which was won by Hogshead. She combined with Curry, Angela Russell and Anna McVann to finish fourth in the 4x100m freestyle relay.
Pearson's form began to dip after the Olympics. Her only medal at the 1986 Commonwealth Games
in Edinburgh
was a gold in the 4x200m freestyle relay.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n medley
Medley swimming
Medley is a combination of four different swimming styles into one race. This race is either swum by one swimmer as individual medley or by four swimmers as a medley relay...
and freestyle
Freestyle swimming
Freestyle is an unregulated swimming style used in swimming competitions according to the rules of FINA. The front crawl stroke is almost universally used during a freestyle race, as this style is generally the fastest...
swimmer of the 1980s, who won a bronze medal in the 200m individual medley at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics
1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
. Her versatility saw her qualify for four finals.
Pearson made her international debut at the 1978 Commonwealth Games
1978 Commonwealth Games
The 1978 Commonwealth Games were held in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, from 3 to 12 August 1978, two years after the 1976 Summer Olympics were held in Montreal, Quebec...
in Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, where she finalled in both the 200m and 400m individual medleys, finishing seventh and fifth respectively. She made her Olympic debut at the 1980 Summer Olympics
1980 Summer Olympics
The 1980 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Moscow in the Soviet Union. In addition, the yachting events were held in Tallinn, and some of the preliminary matches and the quarter-finals of the football tournament...
in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, where she was eliminated in the heats of the 100m freestyle. She was a part of the 4x100m freestyle relay team along with Lisa Curry, Rosemary Brown and Karen van de Graaf, which placed fifth in the final.
In 1981, Pearson became one of the first athletes in Australia to attend the newly established Australian Institute of Sport
Australian Institute of Sport
The Australian Institute of Sport is a sports training institution in Australia with world class facilities and support services. The Institute's headquarters is situated in Canberra, the capital city of Australia. The 66.0 hectare site campus is in the northern suburb of Bruce, but some of the...
(AIS). Pearson attend the AIS until 1986 and was named AIS Athlete of the Year in 1985.
At the 1982 Commonwealth Games
1982 Commonwealth Games
The 1982 Commonwealth Games were held in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia from 30 September–9 October 1982. The Opening Ceremony was held at the QEII Stadium , in the Brisbane suburb of Nathan. The QEII Stadium was also the venue which was used for the athletics and archery competitions during the...
in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Pearson collected her first international medals, winning silver and bronze in the 400m and 200m individual medley respectively. Curry won both events.
Pearson had a good preparation for the 1984 Summer Olympics
1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
, after winning two events at the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Championships as a guest competitor. In the 200m individual medley, she trailed home the American duo of Tracy Caulkins
Tracy Caulkins
Tracy Anne Caulkins Stockwell, OAM, is a former American college and international swimmer, a three-time Olympic gold medalist and a former world record-holder....
and Nancy Hogshead, edging out Curry by 0.83s to claim the bronze medal. Pearson narrowly missed a second silver in the 200m freestyle, finishing in a time of 1m 59.79s, just 0.1s slower than the bronze medallist Annemarie Verstappen
Annemarie Verstappen
Anna Maria Theodora Petra Verstappen is a former freestyle swimmer from The Netherlands, who won a total number of three medals at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California.In 1982 she became world champion in the 200 metres freestyle at the World Aquatics Championships in Ecuador...
of The Netherlands. She also finished fifth in the 100m freestyle, which was won by Hogshead. She combined with Curry, Angela Russell and Anna McVann to finish fourth in the 4x100m freestyle relay.
Pearson's form began to dip after the Olympics. Her only medal at the 1986 Commonwealth Games
1986 Commonwealth Games
The 1986 Commonwealth Games were held in Edinburgh, Scotland for the second time. The Games were held from 24 July-2 August 1986.-Organisation and Controversy:...
in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
was a gold in the 4x200m freestyle relay.