Olympic finalist and 2008 Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) Female Swimmer of the Year, Alicia Coutts, has recently emerged as one of Australia’s real up-and-coming swimming stars of the future. 

Born in Brisbane, Alicia began training with coach David Urquhart when she was just nine years old. She began her swimming career as a backstroke swimmer and then became a freestyle swimmer, before finally settling on butterfly and the individual medley. Her talent was evident at an early age.

Alicia moved to Canberra in 2006 to train at the AIS and pursue her childhood dream of competing at the Olympics. Her dream came true at age 20, when she competed at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, finishing fifth in the 200m individual medley final.

Alicia emerged from the Beijing Olympics as one of Australia’s future swimming stars. Not only did her hard work and determination see her come home from Beijing an Olympian, but also as an Olympic finalist.

AIS Swimming head coach Shannon Rollason said, ‘To make an Olympic final in your first Olympics is an achievement in itself but to finish fifth against the world’s best argues well for Alicia, come [this] year’s Commonwealth Games in New Delhi and the London 2012 Games.’

Since her Olympic debut Alicia has also won bronze in the 200m individual medley at the 2009 Telstra Australian Short Course Championships and most recently won two silver medals and a bronze medal at the 2010 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Irvine, California.