Stephanie rice short biography

Stephanie Rice was once the name in Australian sport. The 36-year-old Olympic swimmer is a three-time gold medallist and has several world records to her name.

But after her incredible success at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, controversy resulted in the competitive swimmer from Brisbane all but disappearing from the limelight.

In news that surprised many, she packed up her life and moved to Dubai in November 2023.

Now, Rice has returned home to tie the knot in a stunning Perth wedding!

The Olympian shared that she married fiancé Mark Lassey in a touching shared Instagram post on January 10, 2025.

"Surrounded by our closest family and friends, those who have loved, supported, and guided us on our journey, all came together to celebrate our love and the beginning of forever together," Rice wrote.

She wore a stunning strapless gown with a satin-like finish, a long tulle veil and statement pearl jewellery, while Lassey looked suave in a white suit jacket and black bow tie.

"The day was everything we dreamed it would be—overflowing with love, joy, and the tangible presence of God. It felt like heaven touched earth," Rice continued in her caption.

She went on to thank all her and Lassey's friends, family and loved ones who made the big day so special, adding that she and her new husband felt "truly blessed".

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Rice announced her and Lassey's engagement around four months ago, only a couple of months after making their relationship public. 

"Here's to fresh starts and second chances … Yes to a lifetime with you," Rice wrote in a joint Instagram post alongside pictures of the pair celebrating their engagement.

Lassey also posted a wholesome snap of the pair together to his own story with Rice's engagement ring in full sight.

"Love you @its

1988 -

At the age of 20, Stephanie Rice thrust herself into legendary company when she won three gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Only six others have managed such a treble at a single Olympics: runner Betty Cuthbert and swimmers Murray Rose, Shane Gould, Ian Thorpe, Petria Thomas and Jodie Henry. Rice won the 200m and 400m individual medley events, both in world-record times, then led her little-known team-mates - Linda MacKenzie, Bronte Barratt and Kylie Palmer - to unexpected victory in the 4 x 200m freestyle relay final. The girls not only wiped more than five seconds off the world record: they also left the highly fancied US and Chinese teams in their wake. It was an event in which the US had never been beaten.

Stephanie Rice impressed as a junior, winning 10 gold, seven silver and three bronze medals at three Australian under-age championships. She made her international debut at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, winning the 200m and 400m individual medley events.

Rice’s victory in the Olympic 400m represented Australia’s first gold medal in Beijing’s Water Cube, and the medal was the nation’s 400th in Olympic history. In both individual events she thrashed the much-feared Katie Hoff (USA), world record-holder in the 400m medley and world champion in the 200m. It was largely due to Rice that Australia dominated the Americans 6-2 in women’s events - although the Australian men failed to win gold for the first time since 1976. As the nation’s most successful competitor at the Games, Rice was chosen to carry the Australian flag in the closing ceremony.

Despite having shoulder surgery a few months out from the 2012 Olympic nomination trials, Rice booked her ticket to her second Olympic Games in London. She made the final of both her events, finishing fourth in the 200m individual medley and sixth in the 400m individual medley. 


Harry Gordon, AOC Historian

Stephanie Rice OAM was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 2019 as an Athlete Member for her contribution to the sport of swimming.

Stephanie Rice is a triple Olympic gold medallist and five-time world record holder who dominated the 200 and 400 individual medley (IM) events. Rice was just the seventh Australian Athlete to win three Olympic gold medals at a single Olympic Games when she competed at the 2008 Olympic Games. 

Rice was dominant of the individual medley swimming events in such a short period of history claiming three Olympic gold medals, two Commonwealth golds, and two silver and five bronze medals from world championships, setting world records in all her swims at the 2008 Olympics.

It wasn’t until Rice was 14 that the signs of what was to come appeared when she won six gold medals at the age nationals. The following year qualified for the Junior Pan-Pacific Championships in 2002 where she won two gold medals. From that point on, Rice made winning national age titles a habit across a range of butterfly, backstroke and medley events.

She made her senior international debut at the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games, where she foreshadowed what was to come by winning the 200m and 400m IMs.

The next year, at the World Championships, also in front of a home crowd in Melbourne, she won bronze medals in both IMs, lowering the Australian record in the 400.

In March 2008 at the Olympic trials in Sydney, she unexpectedly broke the world record in the 400 IM by a full second. Three days later she broke the 200 IM world record that had stood for 11 years and qualified for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

There, aged 20, she thrust herself into legendary company by winning the 200m and 400m individual medleys, breaking world records in both and becoming the first woman to swim under 4.30 in the 400 IM. She then led her little-known team-mates -Linda Mackenzie, Bronte Barratt and Kylie Palmer -to unexpected victory in the 200m freestyl

Australian swimmer (born 1988)

Stephanie Louise Rice, OAM (born 17 June 1988) is an Australian former competitive swimmer. She won three gold medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, and was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia on 26 January 2009.

On 9 April 2014, she confirmed her retirement.

Career

Rice was the gold medallist in the 200-metre individual medley at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia, where she defeated Olympians Brooke Hanson and Lara Carroll in a time of 2:12.90, a personal best by 1.19 seconds. She also won the 400-metre individual medley.

At the 2007 Melbourne World Championships she won a bronze medal in the 200-metre individual medley in a time of 2 minutes 11.42 seconds, breaking the previous Australian record by a second. American Katie Hoff won the gold in 2:10.13, with Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe in second place. Rice once again placed third, earning her second bronze medal in the 400-metre individual medley final. In a new personal best time Rice finished in 4:41.19, taking 0.54 of a second off her previous best.

Rice set a new personal best time in the 400m individual medley at an Italian meet in June 2007. Rice went a 4:40.79, edging closer to the 4:40 barrier in the event. At the 2007 Japanese Open Championships, Rice beat her personal best time in the 400m. In placing second to Zimbabwean champion Kirsty Coventry, Rice set a new Australian and Commonwealth record of 4:37.18, a personal best by 3.61 sec.

At the 2008 Australian Olympic trials, Rice broke the world record in the 400-metre individual medley. Rice stopped the clock at 4 minutes 31.46 seconds, 1.43 seconds under American Katie Hoff's mark of 4:32.89. On 29 June 2008, at the U.S. Olympic Trials, Hoff regained the world record from Rice with a time of 4:31.12. Rice claimed her second world record of the meet, when she broke the 200-metre individual medley world record, clock