Grant Hackett lives at his home in Miami on the Gold Coast, Queensland. Born on the 9th May 1980, he has well and truly overtaken Kieren Perkin's as the king of the 1500m men's freestyle.
He first started to make an impact at the Pan Pacific trials in March 1997, with a time of 15 minutes 3.67 seconds in the men's 1,500 meter freestyle event.
After races are over, Grant Hackett stands for fans photos,
Commonwealth Games trials, May '98.
At the Pan Pacific's, in August 1997, in taking out the 1,500 meter event, Hackett clocked a time of 15 minutes 01.46 seconds. Also at these Pan Pacific's he came first in the 400 meter freestyle with a time of 3 minutes 47.27 seconds. A time that would have earned him a gold medal at the Atlanta Olympics.
At the trials, in October 1997, Hackett and then 14 year old Ian Thorpe, managed to knock out Kieren Perkins and Daniel Kowalski's of the 400 meter event. In the 1,500 meter's Hackett managed to knock out Perkins in the qualifying for the event, clocking a time of 15 minutes and 13.25 seconds while suffering while suffering the effects of the flu. In spite of Hackett's success Perkin's was still very adamant to let Hackett take his place, making such comment's as "The 1,500 meter is my event and while I'm swimming I intend to keep it that way."
Grant Hackett stretches before races, Commonwealth Games
trials, May '98.
At the World Championships in January 1998, Hackett started his medal run with a win in the 4 X 200 meter freestyle event. He swam second with Michael Klim swimming first, then himself, then Ian Thorpe and finishing with Daniel Kowalski. Together they clocked a time only 0.53 seconds off the world record for the event and broke the American's long run as champions.
A few days after his relay success he was in the finals of the men's 400 meter freestyle event. He lead the whole way but at the final turn Ian Thorpe made up amazing ground and piped Hackett at the end by 0.15 of a second.
Grant Hackett signs autographs at the Commonwealth
Games trials, May '98.
Later on in the World Cup came Hackett's best event, the 1,500 meter freestyle. Hackett took the lead from the beginning and, unlike the 400 meters, he lead all the way and thrashed the field. He clocked his best time, 14 minutes 51.70 seconds.
From the 27th April to the 2nd of May the Australian Championships and the Commonwealth Games trials were held in Melbourne. Hackett's first event was the 200 meters freestyle. Hackett didn't make the final's cut although he clocked his best heat of 1:51.13 seconds which earned him 9th place with only eight qualifying.
Grant Hackett talks with coach, Denis Cotterell, before
races at the Commonwealth Games trials, May '98.
Grant's next race was the 400 meters freestyle. This time Hackett made it to the finals. Again it was a race between Ian and Grant. This time it wasn't as close. It was neck and neck between Grant and Ian for the first 200 marts but then Thorpe took the lead and from there on it was all Thorpe.
It was then Hackett's best event, the 1,500 meters freestyle. Hackett qualified fastest for the event. Daniel Kowalski and Hackett went alongside eachother the first 1000 meters but then Hackett took advantage of his height at the turns. Hackett being 6'6 feet and Kowalski 5'11 feet. From there on Hackett churned up the water and finished with a sub 15 minutes time of 14:56.23.
In the Commonwealth Games, coming up in September, Grant was hoping to go 5-10 seconds under his best time, which is 14:51.7. Grant caught the flu and was unable to train for one and a half weeks. His coach, Dennis Cotterell, said "He has lost a crucial period to groove the pace. It is going to be a great contest (with Perkins)." Hackett has now lowered his time expectations, but he still expects to go under the 15 minute mark.
Grant had to do a lot of sitting around at the beginning of the meet as he did not qualify for the 4 X 200m which was earlier on in the meet. When he first race did come around though it was the one that he had come a very close 2nd in the World Championships earlier in the year. As in the World Championship 400m it was a case of Thorpe or Hackett and this time Kowalski was there with a chance. Hackett lead up until the 200m mark when Thorpe over took and Kowalski was left behind. Hackett was challenging Thorpe all the way to the wall, making it the fastest men's 400m freestyle in history. Thorpe won the race 0.53seconds off the World Record with a time of 3:44.35, the second fastest time in history. Hackett also finished with an amazing time of 3:44.88 now the third fastest ever. Kowalski finished 4m off the pace with a personal best time of 3:48.91.
Grant's next race was the one he's most famous for, the 1,500m freestyle. Hackett qualified fastest with a steady time of 15:19.63. In the past with Hackett and Kowalski it's usually been a case of go out together but in this case it was different. Hackett lead and there was no one there with him from start to finish. It was then a case of silver or bronze of the other racers. Although it looked as though Kowalski had silver at the half way mark, he started to tire and Kieren Perkins and South Africa's Ryk Neethling started to catch up. While the others for fighting it out Hackett had finished with a PB of 14:50.92, the equal second best time in history. Down the other end of the pool things were getting closer between the two Australian's and the South African. With Kowalski tiring at the end the South African, who is also the South African champion and Good Will Games Gold Medalist, took silver from Perkins and left him with bronze.
After the Commonwealth Games there were the Australian short-course swimming championships to attend in Perth. In the men's 400m freestyle Thorpe and Hackett again went stroke for stroke but this time it was for the entire race, but again it was Thorpe who just held off Hackett for the last stroke, breaking the old short-course World record by 0.64 seconds with a time of 3:39.82. Hackett also broke the record, with a time of 3:40.04.
After the disappointment
of again being beaten by Ian Thorpe in the 400m freestyle Hackett wasn't about
to let anyone beat him in his race, the 1,500m. He swam under the world record
time, set by Kieren Perkins in 1993, with a time of 14:19.55, 6 seconds faster
than Kieren Perkins record.
At the Australian championships
in March 98, before the 200m freestyle there was much excitement and talk
that Ian Thorpe was going to brake the World Record. There was no World
Record and no gold medal for Ian, instead Grant Hackett shocked the crowd
by taking out the race with the 5th fastest time in history of 1:46.99.
Grant later in the meet astounded
the crowds when racing in the 4X200m freestyle, for his club Miami, he
swam the first leg and broke the 200m World record with a time of 1:46.67,
clipping 0.02 off the time set by Giorgio Lamberti.
In his pet event, the 1,500m
Grant swam his fastest time ever, the 4th fastest in history of 14:48.63,
the other 3 belonging to Kieren Perkins.
At the Short Course Championships
in Hong Kong in the 400m Grant slashed the World Record by nearly 5 seconds
with a time of 3.35.01.
In the 1,500m Grant won the race but was unable to beat his World Record as he aimed to do.
