Justin Norris


Justin Neville Norris is an Australian butterfly and individual medley swimmer who won the bronze medal in the 200 metres butterfly at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia.

Early life

Coming from Stockton, New South Wales, Norris relocated to the Australian Institute of Sport, Canberra in 1999 after being awarded a scholarship. He subsequently gained selection for Australia at the 1999 Pan Pacific Championships in Sydney.

Swimming career

At his first Olympics in Sydney, Norris made a poor start, missing the final of the 400-metre individual medley. However, he qualified for the final of the 200-metre butterfly, where he was considered an outsider. Norris attacked from the start, contesting the lead over the first 100-metre. Willed on by a partisan home crowd, he managed to hang on to the third position as the favourites surged for the finish line. While being interviewed on the pool deck, a bewildered Norris repeatedly used what has become his winning catchphrase - "I'm stoked."
In 2001, Norris claimed another bronze medal at the 2001 FINA World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, this time in the 200-metre individual medley, and in 2002 collected triple gold in the 200-metre and 400-metre individual medley and the 200-metre butterfly at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester. However, in 2003, he had no success in his three events, failing to medal at the 2003 FINA World Championships in Barcelona, Spain. He fared even worse at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, failing to reach a single final.

Retirement

On arrival back in Australia, Norris departed the AIS to return to Newcastle, and thereafter announced that he would be taking a year out of swimming in 2005. He went on to found the Norris Swimming Academy in Thornton, NSW.