Libby Lenton

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Medal record
Competitor for Australia
Women's swimming
Olympic Games
Gold	2004 Athens	4 × 100 m freestyle relay
Bronze	2004 Athens	50 m freestyle
Commonwealth Games
Gold	2006 Melbourne	50 m freestyle
Gold	2006 Melbourne	100 m freestyle
Gold	2006 Melbourne	4 × 100 m freestyle relay
Gold	2006 Melbourne	4 × 200 m freestyle relay
Gold	2006 Melbourne	4 × 100 m medley relay
Silver	2006 Melbourne	200 m freestyle
Silver	2006 Melbourne	100 m butterfly
World Championships
Gold	2005 Montreal	50 m freestyle
Gold	2005 Montreal	4 x 100 m freestyle relay
Gold	2005 Montreal	4 x 100 m medley relay
Gold	2007 Melbourne	50 m freestyle
Gold	2007 Melbourne	100 m freestyle
Gold	2007 Melbourne	100 m butterfly
Gold	2007 Melbourne	4 x 100 m freestyle relay
Gold	2007 Melbourne	4 x 100 m medley relay
Silver	2005 Montreal	100 m butterfly
Silver	2005 Montreal	4 x 200 m freestyle relay
Bronze	2003 Barcelona	50 m freestyle
Bronze	2003 Barcelona	4 x 100 m freestyle relay

Lisbeth "Libby" Constance Lenton OAM (born January 28, 1985, in Townsville, Queensland) is a member of the Australian Women's Olympic swim team, an Athens gold medalist, and former holder (with teammates Alice Mills, Petria Thomas, and Jodie Henry) of the world record in the women's 4 × 100 metre relay (with a time of 3:35.94).

Lenton was also a bronze medalist in the Women's 50 metre Freestyle. She had previously been the holder of the 100 m Freestyle world record (53.66) set at the Olympic swimming Trials held in Sydney, Australia on 31 March 2004, but lost this to teammate Jodie Henry (53.52) during the semi finals of the event at the Athens Olympics.

However, Lenton regained her 100 m Freestyle World Record on January 31, 2006 at the Australian Championships in Melbourne. Her time of 53.42 was 0.1 sec faster than the previous record held by Henry. On August 2, 2006, German swimmer Britta Steffen smashed Lenton's 100M Freestyle world record at the 2006 Budapest European Championships with a time of 53.30.

In July 2005, at the Long-Course FINA World Championships in Montreal, Lenton was one of the form swimmers of the meet. She won the 50 m freestyle in a time of 24.59 to record her maiden championship at international level. She also achieved a silver medal in the 100 m butterfly (57.37). She was a member of three relay teams, the 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay, 4 × 100 metre medley relay, and the 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay teams, winning gold(3.37.22), gold (3.57.47) and silver(7.54.00) in the respective events. Fairly new to the 200 m freestyle event, Lenton recorded the fourth fastest time in history clocking 1.57.06 as lead-off swimmer in the final of the 4x200 m freestyle relay. The time being more than 1.5 seconds faster than the individual gold medallist Solenne Figues (1.58.60) (France). On returning to Australia, Lenton continued her rich vein of form, lowering the 100 m Short Course Freestyle World Record on consecutive nights at the Australian Short Course Championships to 51.70s.

2005 brought a further world record in the 200 m freestyle short course at the FINA World Cup meet (Sydney - 19th November) with Lenton recording a time of 1:53.29 to beat the previous record by 0.75 seconds.

Lenton is coached Swiss-born Stephan Widmer at the Fortitude Valley Pool in Brisbane, and she now trains alongside current 100m and 200 m breaststroke world-record holder, and reigning 100 m and 200 m breaststroke world champion Leisel Jones.

At the 2006 Commonwealth Games she won silver medals in the Women's 200 m freestyle and 100 m butterfly events. She defeated Henry to claim the 50 m and 100 m freestyle, and was a part of the winning 4x200 m and 4x100 m freestyle relay teams, as well as breaking the world record in the 4x100 m medley relay, where her split of 52.87s eclipsed the previous best by Henry. She took five of Australias twelve gold medals in the Short-Course FINA World Championships in Shanghai 2006, being named the leading female swimmer of the meet.

In the latter part of 2006, Lenton won four titles at the Australian Short Course Nationals - both the 50m and 100m freestyle and butterfly events. More commonly known for her freestyle expertise, Lenton demonstrated to the rest of the world that her talents in the buttefly arena are likewise to that of her freestyle capabilities - she set a new Australian and Commonwealth record in the 50m butterfly and a new world record over the 100m distance.

She was named as the 2005 Female Australian Swimmer of the Year.

On March 25, at the 2007 World Aquatics Championships in Melbourne, Lenton claimed Gold again. Combining with Shayne Reese, rookie Melanie Schlanger and great mate Jodie Henry, Lenton led the Australian 4x100 m freestyle relay team in a world championship record time of 3:35.58, ahead of the USA in 3:35.68 and the Netherlands in 3:35.81.

Australia could not have wished for a better start with Lenton finishing her 100m split in 53.42 - a time that was under the world record.

On March 26, Lenton added another Gold by winning the women's 100m butterfly in a championship record time - 57.15 seconds - touching the wall just 0.09 seconds ahead of her second-placed team-mate Jessicah Schipper and American Natalie Coughlin. Then, on April 1, she won another gold by an amazing nine one-hundredths of a second

On April 3rd, at the biannual Duel in the Pool between Australia and the United States Swimming Teams, held in Sydney, Australia, she broke the 100m freestyle record, touching in a time of 52.99. There was some initial confusion as to whether the time was official as the relay she swam it in was a mixed relay, and she was swimming head to head against Michael Phelps. Swimming Australia have since confirmed that the time will stand as an official FINA record, making Lenton the first woman under 53 seconds in a longcourse pool. She also claimed gold in the 4x100 medley relay, in a team with Emily Seebohm, Leisel Jones and Jessica Schipper. She swam the anchor leg of this relay to take Australia to victory.