Edington was the lead-off swimmer in the 4 x 100m medley relay that won gold at the 2005 FINA World Championship, setting a Championship Record.
Not even medals at FINA World Championships, Commonwealth Games, and Australian Championships could lead Sophie Edington to realizing her greatest ambition – being an Olympic medallist.
Not even being part of a medley relay team that smashed the world record.
The girl from Loxton in SA’s Riverland, a backstroker, reached her career zenith at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.
Swimming in the 4x100m medley relay alongside legends, Leisel Jones, Jess Schipper, and Libby Lenton to follow, Sophie Edington would be the lead swimmer. Rules state that backstroke swimmers must lead off in medley relays.
This was the last women’s swimming event at the Games, held at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre.
Following Sophie Edington’s lead, Australia controlled the race, Libby Lenton touching the wall in 3:56.30 and in doing so, Australia smashed the world record by 1.02 seconds.
Just two years later, at the Beijing Olympics, the Australian 4 x 100m women’s medley relay team devoured their own world record and won Olympic gold but such is the merciless nature of Australian swimming at its elite best, that Emily Seebohm had stepped into Sophie Edington’s position at the 2007 FINA World Championships and the 2008 Olympic Games.
At age 23, Sophie swam in the heats of the 100m backstroke, finishing 14th. However, only 56 hundredths-of-a-second separated 5th to 14th. Such is the enormous pressure on the world’s best.
Sophie Edington’s 2006 Commonwealth Games tally of three gold medals – the medley relay, 50m backstroke and 100m backstroke was outstanding, placing her just behind Leisel Jones with four golds.
Edington was also the lead-off swimmer in the 4 x 100m medley relay that won gold at the 2005 FINA World Championship, setting a Championship Record.
Sophie Edington has been inducted into Swimming SA’s Hall of Fame.
