Mr Mark Tonelli

Mark Tonelli’s performance in Australia’s men’s 4x100m medley relay win was all the more remarkable because he was swimming a stroke in which he never competed individually in at the Olympics. Tonelli swum the butterfly leg, recording a PB by more than two seconds.

But he never raced in an individual butterfly event at either of the two Olympics he represented Australia, in 1976 and 1980 – he competed in individual freestyle and backstroke events. He and team-mates Peter Evans, Neil Brooks and Mark Kerry provided Australia with a rare golden moment in relays. The win stands as our only swimming relay gold won in the 44 years between Australia hosting the Games in Melbourne in 1956 and Sydney in 2000.

A Commonwealth backstroke gold medallist in 1974, Tonelli swam almost two seconds faster than he ever had before to inspire his team-mates to victory.