Olevsky, Irena

Sport:
synchronized swimming

Country Represented:
Australia

Years Competed:
2000

Olympic Info:
A member of the Australian synchronized swimming team at the 2000 Sydney Olympic, Olevsky competed in both the duet and team events. In the duet competition, Olevsky and her partner Naomi Young finished 16th in both the free routine and the technical routine, and did not advance to the finals. In the team competition, Olevsky and the Australian team finished in eighth place.

Before the Olympic Games, Olevsky commented about competing against Russia (who won the gold medal in both the duet and team events), "Most of them were from my club, so I would have been on that team. Half of them I went to school with and half of them I taught to swim...I'll probably regret it for a second (if the Russians win), but there is life after the Olympics and I think I've got much more opportunities here than over there...That's worth much more than a gold medal."

Career Highlights:
Olevsky began competing for the Australian national synchronized swimming team in the late 1990s, and finished 12th in the team competition at the 1998 World Championships. She also placed second in the synchronized swimming duet event at the 1998 Commonwealth Games. In 2000, Olevsky and her partner Naomi Young were the first athletes to be named to the Australian Olympic team. Olevsky, who emigrated from Russia, said of her adopted homeland: "Everyone is given the opportunity to actually be themselves as well as being Australian at the same time. Not many countries accept that. Other countries expect you to become like them."

Birth and Death Dates:
b. March 22, 1974

Origin:
Moscow, Russia

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