Australian Story: May 19 / 26

The next two episodes of Australian Story will profile Olympian Kieren Perkins, promising to shed “new light on one of the most cherished moments in recent Australian sporting history.”

Grant Hackett will introduce the episode, while other interviewees include Karen Davies (fiancé) Jared Perkins (brother) Gloria Perkins (mother), Daniel Kowalski, Wayne Smith (sports journalist, The Australian).

In a career of many highlights, there is almost no Australian alive at the time who will easily forget Perkins’ comeback in the finals of the 1500 at Atlanta in 1996.

Unwell and out of form he struggled in the heats and qualified by a finger nail. One quarter of a second slower and he would have missed making the final at all. As it was he had to race in the despised Lane 8 for the Final.

From ‘write off’ status, he somehow managed a Finals performance described by many observers as a ‘miracle’ to secure his second Olympic 1500 gold, leaving main rival Daniel Kowalski with the silver.

Now for the first time the surprising story of what was actually happening to Kieren Perkins behind the scenes at Atlanta can be revealed…

Along the way, the program also explores the drama and emotion of the long rivalry between Kieren Perkins and his eventual nemesis Grant Hackett with both speaking candidly about their battles and what was happening behind the scenes.

Kieren Perkins’ 1500 career straddles three Olympics, culminating in Sydney 2000 where he came agonisingly close to achieving his childhood goal of three successive gold medals at three Games.

Nevertheless, at the time he retired from the pool after coming second to Hackett, Perkins had the distinction of coming closer than any male swimmer before him to achieving the ultimate Olympic trifecta.

Today, aged forty and a banking executive, Kieren Perkins has also been an exemplar as one of the few swimmers in recent history to manage the difficult transition from national sporting idol to relative anonymity and a successful new career without the tabloid controversies that have dogged so many other household names.

But in ‘All the Right Moves’ he candidly discusses some of his own private struggles.

He also discusses the decision, on the eve of the London Olympics two years ago, to announce the breakup of the marriage to the girl he wed not long after the triumph in Atlanta.

And he talks about his new happiness in a relationship with fellow banking executive Karen Davis. The pair will marry later this year.

8pm Monday May 19 / 26 on ABC1.