Michael Klim

Michael George Klim, OAM (born 13 August 1977) is an Australian swimmer, Olympic gold medallist, world champion, and former world record-holder of the 1990s and 2000s. He is known as the creator of straight-arm freestyle.

Early years Klim was born in Gdynia, Poland, in 1977. Shortly after his birth, his father was appointed trade attaché to the consulate of the Polish People's Republic in Bombay (now Mumbai) and together with his older sister Klim learned to swim there. The family returned to Gdynia after five years in India. The family left Poland in 1987 and lived in Hamburg, Germany, where as a 10-year-old Klim competed nationally for a local swimming club. His father applied for a business visa for Australia, but as the process was slow, also applied for Canadian visas for the family and they soon moved to Toronto. Nine months later, their Australian visa was granted. The family arrived in Melbourne on 30 April 1989. Klim was educated at the University High School, and Wesley College, where he was later employed as the college's elite head coach of swimming.

Career Klim was first selected to represent Australia in the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, while still a student at Wesley College. For his achievements he was named the Male Swimmer of the Year by the magazine Swimming World in 1997.

In December 1999, he twice set a world record time – of 52.03s, then 51.81s two days later – in the 100m butterfly, in International Swimming Federation-sanctioned solo swims during a swim meet at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in Canberra. It was broken at the 2003 World Championships in Barcelona by the Ukrainian Andriy Serdinov in the first semifinal of the 100m butterfly, and then broken another time in the next semifinal by Michael Phelps. Phelps's record was bested by fellow American Ian Crocker in the final the following day.

Klim was AIS Athlete of the Year in 1998 and 1999 and was inducted into the AIS 'Best of the Best' in 2001. Klim was the only Australian to win a gold medal at both the 2000 Summer Olympics and the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

On 26 June 2007 Klim retired from competitive swimming; he finished the year ranked 94 in the 100m freestyle with the Olympics 14 months away. However, on 14 February 2011 Klim announced his return to competitive swimming, hoping to compete in the 2012 Summer Olympics. Klim failed to qualify for the team and he retired from competitive swimming for a second time.

After his second retirement from swimming, in 2008, Klim founded a skin care company named "Milk and Co". During the COVID-19 pandemic, he stepped away from the business to establish a swim school in Bali, Klim Swim, in 2021.

Medal achievements

Klim arrived at the 1996 Summer Olympics ranked first in the world for the 200m freestyle, but was surprisingly eliminated in the heats. He rebounded to qualify for the final in the 100m butterfly, and swam the freestyle leg in the 4×100m medley relay final, in which Australia claimed a bronze medal. Atlanta Olympics (USA) Med 3.png Men's 4×100m Medley Relay

1998 was Klim's year in the sun. In January, the World Aquatics Championships were held in Perth, Western Australia, and in front of a boisterous home crowd, he was the leading swimmer of the meet. He triumphed in the 200m freestyle and the 100m butterfly, added silver in the 100m freestyle, and bronze in the 50m freestyle. He was a member of each of Australia's three relay teams, winning gold in the 4×200m freestyle relay and 4×100m medley relay; and a silver in the 4×100m freestyle relay. FINA World Championships 1998 in Perth, Australia Med 1.png 200m Freestyle Med 2.png 100m Freestyle Med 3.png 50m Freestyle Med 1.png 100m Butterfly Med 2.png 4×100m Freestyle Relay Med 1.png 4×200m Freestyle Relay Med 1.png 4×100m Medley Relay

At the 2000 Summer Olympics, Klim set a world record (48.18s) leading off the 4×100m freestyle relay, which paved the way for a world record (3m13.67s). Three days later, he was part of the 4×200m freestyle relay, which set another world record (7m7.05s), which left the opposition more than five seconds in arrears on its way to victory. His 100m freestyle world record bested by Pieter van den Hoogenband in the semifinals, in the final he finished with a bitter fourth place; he turned first at the end of the first lap but he claimed his legs gave away in the second half. In the 100m butterfly, he was the world record holder, again turning first at the wall heavily under world record pace, but was cut down in the closing stages by Sweden's Lars Frölander, finishing second. On the final night he claimed silver as part of the 4×100m medley relay team. 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia Med 2.png 100m Butterfly Med 1.png 4×100m Freestyle Relay Med 1.png 4×200m Freestyle Relay Med 2.png 4×100m Medley Relay

In 2001, hampered by an ankle injury Klim was restricted to relay duties, and contributed to another world record, winning gold in the 4×200m relay (7m4.66s). He also collected a gold medal in the 4×100m freestyle relay. FINA World Championships 2001 in Fukuoka, Japan Med 1.png 4×100m Freestyle Relay Med 1.png 4×200m Freestyle Relay

In 2002 and 2003, due to chronic back and shoulder problems, Klim was inactive.

Klim failed to qualify for the 2004 Summer Olympics, but was later selected as part of the relay team, which came second behind USA in the 4×200m race. The relay team did not win a medal in the 4x100m and failed to qualify for the medley relay final. 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece Med 2.png 4×200m Freestyle Relay

In 2005, Klim swam at the World Aquatics in Montreal, returning to individual action, but failed to progress to the finals in the 50m & 100m Freestyle. He won bronze as part of the 4×100m freestyle relay. FINA World Championships 2005 in Montreal, Canada Med 3.png 4×100m Freestyle Relay

In 2007, he swam as part of the B team in the Men's 4 × 100 metre medley relay; in the final the Australian team won the gold medal. 2007 World Aquatics Championships in Melbourne, Australia Med 1.png 4×100m Medley Relay

Personal life Klim married Lindy Rama, a former model and fashion entrepreneur, in April 2006. The couple have two daughters, and a son. Klim and Rama, who is a Balinese princess through her father, moved to the Indonesian island of Bali in 2010 to raise their family but announced their separation in February 2016. Klim shares joint custody of his children and continues to live between Bali and Australia with his fiancée Michelle Owen. Klim and Owen, who met in 2019, became engaged in December 2025.

In July 2022, Klim revealed that he had been diagnosed with the auto-immune disorder chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) in 2020, which has affected his legs and feet and left him struggling to walk unassisted. In May 2024, Klim and Owen launched the Klim Foundation. Its primary purpose is to raise awareness, provide support, and advocate for people living with CIDP.

In 2024, his autobiography Klim, written with sports journalist Nicole Jeffery, was published by Hachette.

In February 2026 Klim was the subject of an episode of the Australian documentary television programme Australian Story, detailing his battle with CIDP.