Samantha Linette Pearl Riley (born 13 November 1972) is an Australian breaststroke swimmer of Aboriginal descent who competed for Australia in the

1992 Summer Olympics The 1992 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1992, ca, Jocs Olímpics d'estiu de 1992), officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad ( es, Juegos de la XXV Olimpiada, ca, Jocs de la XXV Olimpíada) and commonly known as ...

in Barcelona and the

1996 Summer Olympics The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...

in Atlanta, winning three medals. She trained under Scott Volkers at the

Commercial Swimming Club Commercial Swimming Club is a swimming club that is based at the Fortitude Valley Pool in centre of Brisbane, Queensland. It is one of the most successful clubs in Australia and has produced many Olympic swimmers and medalists. Commercial swim ...

in Brisbane. Having been advised as a child to begin swimming to combat

asthma Asthma is a long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wheezing, co ...

, the Brisbane schoolgirl broke into the Australian team for the 1991 World Championships in Perth, Western Australia, winning a silver medal in the medley relay. The following year, Riley won a bronze medal in the 100-metre breaststroke at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, as well as competing in the 200-metre event. In 1994, Riley won both breaststroke events at the

1994 Commonwealth Games The 1994 Commonwealth Games (French: ''XVéme Jeux du Commonwealth'') were held in Victoria, British Columbia, from 18 to 28 August 1994. Ten types of sports were featured at the Victoria Games: athletics, aquatics, badminton, boxing, cycling ...

in Victoria, British Columbia, and repeated the feat at the 1994 World Championships in Rome, Italy, setting a world record of 1 minute, 07.69 seconds in the 100-metre event. This prompted Swimming World magazine to name her as the Female World Swimmer of the Year. Riley continued to sweep all before her in 1995, but arrived for the

under the cloud of a doping controversy. She had failed a drug test, and was only exonerated after her coach Scott Volkers admitted to giving her a headache tablet which contained the banned substance. Under the pressure of the controversy, Riley performed well outside her personal best times, which would have been enough for gold. She collected a bronze in the 100m breaststroke. She also collected a silver medal in the 4x100-meter relay with Nicole Stevenson, Susie O'Neill and Sarah Ryan. Riley never stood on the podium again as an individual at the world level, but maintained her position in the Australian squad. Many anticipated her to return to her peak at the

2000 Summer Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 ( Dharug: ''Gadigal 2000''), the Millennium Olympic Games or the Games of the New Millennium, was an international multi-sport event held from ...

in Sydney, but a kidney infection disrupted her training. She retired shortly after being Australia's most successful female breaststroke swimmer in the 1990s. At one stage during the mid-1990s, Riley was the girlfriend of Norwegian Olympic champion speedskater

Johann Olav Koss Johann Olav Koss, (born 29 October 1968) is a former speed skater from Norway. He won four Olympic gold medals, including three at the 1994 Winter Olympics in his home country. Biography Johann Olav Koss was born in Drammen, Buskerud County, N ...

. This sparked media speculation that he would compete for Australia at the Winter Olympics. The major arterial Samantha Riley Drive in Kellyville is named after her. The

Australian Olympic Committee Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal Au ...

recognised her in their list of Australian Indigenous Olympians.

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* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Riley, Samantha 1972 births Living people Sportswomen from Queensland Indigenous Australian Olympians Olympic swimmers of Australia Swimmers at the 1992 Summer Olympics Swimmers at the 1996 Summer Olympics Olympic silver medalists for Australia Olympic bronze medalists for Australia Commercial Swimming Club swimmers Commonwealth Games gold medallists for Australia World record setters in swimming Olympic bronze medalists in swimming Australian female breaststroke swimmers World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming Australian sportspeople in doping cases Medalists at the FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m) Doping cases in Australian swimming Swimmers from Brisbane Medalists at the 1996 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1992 Summer Olympics Commonwealth Games silver medallists for Australia Olympic silver medalists in swimming Commonwealth Games medallists in swimming Swimmers at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Swimmers at the 1998 Commonwealth Games Recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia Recipients of the Australian Sports Medal Medallists at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Medallists at the 1998 Commonwealth Games

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