Georgina's Story
Georgina Parkes was a teenage backstroke specialist when she made her Olympic debut at Moscow 1980. Aged 15, Parkes contested both backstroke events, placing 14th in the 100m after recording 1 minute, 5.06 seconds in her heat. She finished 10th in the 200m, swimming 2:17.78.
Parkes developed into one of Australia’s leading backstrokers over the following Olympic cycle. She won silver in the 200m backstroke at the 1982 world championships in Guayaquil before collecting silver medals in the 100m and 200m backstroke at that year’s Commonwealth Games in Brisbane. At Los Angeles 1984, the 19-year-old placed 10th in the 100m before producing her best Olympic performance in the 200m. After winning her heat, Parkes finished fourth in the final in 2:14.37, narrowly missing the podium.
Her international career continued with four medals at the inaugural Pan Pacific championships in Tokyo in 1985, including silver in the 200m backstroke. Parkes returned to the Commonwealth Games at Edinburgh 1986, where she won the 200m backstroke, secured silver in the 100m and helped Australia claim bronze in the 4x100m medley relay. She later remained involved in swimming through teaching and coaching.
