Petria Thomas

Primarily a butterfly swimmer, Petria Thomas has overcome major shoulder injuries to become one of the top butterflyers ever. Thomas first competed at the Olympics in 1996, winning a silver medal in the 200 fly. At Sydney in 2000 she won three medals, bronze in the 200 fly, and silvers in two relays. Her best Olympic performance came in Athens when she won four medals, with three gold medals. She also won her first individual gold medal in the 100 fly, adding gold in the 400 free relay and the medley relay. But Thomas’s best meet may have been the 2001 World Championships when she won three gold medals, including both the 100 and 200 fly, and the medley relay. In 2002, she became the first swimmer to win the same event at three consecutive Commonwealth Games, when she won the 200 fly in Manchester, England. Thomas has accomplished this despite having sustained numerous shoulder dislocations, which have required surgery on both shoulders.