Michael Klim (b. 1977) rose to superstar status in Australian swimming in 1998 by winning seven medals in seven events at the World Swimming Championships in Perth. The following week in Sydney he twice broke the world short course record in the 100m butterfly. In the Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur in September of that year he again won seven medals including four gold - the second highest medal tally for any athlete in any sport in any Commonwealth Games. In 1998 he was the world record holder in the 100m butterfly and was ranked number one in the world in the 100 butterfly and 200m freestyle. In 1995 he was named Rookie of the Year at the Telstra Australian Swimmer of the Year Awards; in 1996, having won a bronze medal for the 4x100 medley relay at the Atlanta Olympic Games he was Australian Sprint Swimmer of the Year. In 1997 he won three of these awards, and he was again the Swimmer of the Year in 1999. He participates in charity work for the Guide Dog Association and Kelloggs Kids' Helpline and is a patron of the Starlight Foundation.
