Brenton Rickard

{{Infobox swimmer

| name = Brenton Rickard

| image = Brenton Rickard.jpg

| image_size =

| alt =

| caption =

| fullname = Brenton Scott Rickard

| nicknames =

| national_team = {{AUS}}

| strokes = Breaststroke

| club = Brothers

| coach = Vince Raleigh

| collegeteam =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1983|10|19|df=y}}

| birth_place = Brisbane, Queensland

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height = {{convert|1.90|m|ftin|abbr=on}}

| weight = {{convert|92|kg|lb|abbr=on}}

| medaltemplates =

}}

Brenton Scott Rickard{{cite web |title=Results – Tuesday 5 October |publisher=BBC Sport |date=5 October 2010 |access-date=5 October 2010 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/commonwealth_games/delhi_2010/bbc_coverage/9038238.stm}} (born 19 October 1983) is a retired breaststroke swimmer from Australia.{{cite web|url=http://www.olympics.com.au/Athletes/TheTeam/tabid/343/Athletes/TheTeam/tabid/344/Default.aspx?cId=25120&teamId=1|title=Brenton Rickard – Biography|publisher=Australian Olympic Committee| access-date=20 June 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080723171429/http://www.olympics.com.au/Athletes/TheTeam/tabid/343/Athletes/TheTeam/tabid/344/Default.aspx?cId=25120&teamId=1 |archive-date = 23 July 2008}} He emerged at the international level in 2006, swimming at the Commonwealth games. He has captured multiple Olympic and World Championship medals, as well as world and Commonwealth records. During this period he was coached by Vince Raleigh.

In 2009, he was Australian Institute of Sport Athlete of the Year.[http://www.ausport.gov.au/ais/history/awards/athlete_of_the_year/past_winners Australian Institute of Sport Athlete of the Year] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120326155524/http://www.ausport.gov.au/ais/history/awards/athlete_of_the_year/past_winners |date=26 March 2012 }}

Olympic Games

He arrived in Beijing as a medal contender and a serious threat for the gold medal in all three of his events. He set Australian, Commonwealth and Oceanic records, capturing silver medals in the 200-metre breaststroke and 4×100-metre medley relay, and finished 5th in the 100-metre breaststroke.

Beijing Olympics in Beijing, China:
AR 200-metre breaststroke.
AR 4×100-metre medley relay.
(5th) 100-metre breaststroke.

FINA World Championships

Rickard's first World Championships were a good one, consistently capturing medals in all of his pet events. No Australian records were set, however his status in the world rankings leapfrogged.

FINA World Championships 2007 in Melbourne, Australia:
Or 200-metre breaststroke.
Or 100-metre breaststroke.
AR 4×100-metre medley relay.

In the final of the 100-metre breaststroke, Rickard won the gold medal and surpassed the old world record of 58.91 held by Kosuke Kitajima with a time of 58.58.{{cite news|title=Rickard sets 1st world record of Day 2|url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jHLNIGqTjcVgQGZzDvGE72I0rLagD99MT7D00|publisher=The Associated Press|date=27 July 2009|access-date=28 July 2009}}{{dead link|date=June 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}

FINA World Championships 2009 in Rome, Italy:
Or 100-metre breaststroke.
AR 4×100-metre medley relay.
(5th) 200-metre breaststroke.

Career best times

{| class="wikitable"

|+ Long Course Personal bests

bgcolor="#eeeeee"

| Event

| align="center" | Time

| align="center" | Record

50 m breaststroke

align="center" | 26.95

| align="center" | Former AUS Record Holder

100 m breaststroke

align="center" | 58.58

| bgcolor="3399ff" align="center" | AUS Record Holder

200 m breaststroke

align="center" | 2:07.89

| align="center" |

class="wikitable"

|+ Short Course Personal bests

bgcolor="#eeeeee"

| Event

| align="center" | Time

| align="center" | Record

50m Breaststroke

align="center" | 26.62

| align="center" | Former AUS Record Holder

100m Breaststroke

align="center" | 57.79

| align="center" | Former AUS Record Holder

200m Breaststroke

align="center" | 2:04.33

Doping allegation

In 2020, the IOC began proceedings in the Court of Arbitration of Sport to void Rickard's results from the 2012 London Olympics{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/nov/06/brenton-rickard-australian-olympic-swimmer-reveals-positive-drug-test-eight-years-after-london-games|title = Brenton Rickard: Australian Olympic swimmer reveals positive drugs test eight years after London Games| newspaper=The Guardian |date = 6 November 2020| last1=Sport | first1=Guardian }} after his urine samples from that competition tested positive for furosemide, a banned diuretic. If the IOC's findings were upheld, six Australian swimmers would have been stripped of their bronze medal in the {{nowrap|4 × 100 m}} medley,{{Cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/sport/swimming/australia-s-proud-anti-doping-record-gets-that-sinking-feeling-20201107-p56cf7.html|title = Australia has never lost an Olympic medal to drugs. That might be about to change|date = 7 November 2020}} in which Rickard swam the breaststroke leg of the heat.

The proceedings were withdrawn on August 24, 2021.{{Cite news|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-24/ioc-drops-doping-case-against-australian-swimmer-brenton-rickard/100403634|title = IOC drops doping case against Australian swimmer Brenton Rickard|newspaper = ABC News|date = 24 August 2021}}