Paralympic swimming star Priya Cooper has been inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame ©Getty Images

Nine-times Paralympic swimming champion Priya Cooper has been inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame at a glittering ceremony in Melbourne.

The 41-year-old, who is considered one of the greatest Australian Paralympians of all time, won three titles at Barcelona 1992 before she claimed five golds in Atlanta four years later, breaking three world records in the process.

She then went on to reign supreme in the S8 400 metres freestyle event on home soil in Sydney and Cooper also clinched three Paralympic silvers and four bronzes during her stellar career.

Cooper becomes the fourth Paralympian to be inducted into the prestigious Sport Australia Hall of Fame, joining wheelchair tennis player David Hall, gold medallist at Sydney 2000, skier Michael Milton, the most successful Australian Winter Paralympian in history and nine-times Paralympic champion in athletics Louise Sauvage.

General members Ron Finneran and Robert McCullough, both recognised for their work in Paralympic sport, are also in the Hall of Fame.

“Priya Cooper was almost unbeatable across the span of three separate Paralympic Games and was a golden girl of her era,” Sport Australia Hall of Fame Selection Committee chairman Rob de Castellan said.

“She was a catalyst for moving the Paralympics into the spotlight and in doing so motivated countless Australians to follow in her footsteps at all levels of sport.”

Priya Cooper joins Michael Milton on the list of Paralympians to have been inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame
Priya Cooper joins Michael Milton on the list of Paralympians to have been inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame ©Getty Images

The swimming star was one of six new athlete inductees to the Hall of Fame alongside double Olympic cycling gold medallist Ryan Bayley and former Australia cricket captain Ricky Ponting.

Fellow swimmer Leisel Jones, a three-times Olympic champion and multiple world gold medallist, veteran rugby league player Norm Provan and MotoGP star Casey Stoner were the others to receive the honour at the ceremony, held at the Palladium at Crown venue in the Australian city.

The Don Award, named after legendary cricketer Sir Donald Bradman and which honours a current Australian athlete whose achievements and the example they have set over the past 12 months have been seen to inspire the nation, was given to golfer Jason Day after he won his maiden major by taking the USPGA Championship title in August.



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