 = Mark Stockwell = 
 
 Mark William Stockwell ( born 5 July 1963 ) is an Australian former competition swimmer and three @-@ time Olympic medallist . Stockwell is a Queensland native who specialised in freestyle sprint events , and had a successful international swimming career during the mid @-@ 1980s , including the Olympics , Pan Pacific Championships , and Commonwealth Games . Following his retirement from competitive swimming , he has become a successful business executive and has been active in the administration of national sports organisations in Australia . 
 
 = = Early years and education = = 
 
 Stockwell was born and raised in Brisbane , Queensland , the son of Bill and <unk> Stockwell . He is a 1980 graduate of St Laurence 's College , a Roman Catholic boys ' high school in Brisbane . Stockwell was an Australian Institute of Sport scholarship holder from 1982 to 1984 , and again in 1987 . He undertook commerce and engineering studies at the University of Queensland , and economics <unk> at the Australian National University . He also attended the University of Florida in the United States . 
 
 = = <unk> career = = 
 
 Stockwell won three medals at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles . In the men 's 100 @-@ metre freestyle , Stockwell finished in 50 @.@ 24 seconds and claimed a silver medal behind American swimmer <unk> Gaines ' Olympic record time of 49 @.@ 80 seconds . The outcome was controversial , however , because of a premature starter gun and a quick start by Gaines . Gaines ' coach , Richard Quick , knew of starter Frank <unk> 's tendency to fire the starter gun almost immediately when the competitors mounted the blocks . Gaines gained about a metre 's head start on the competition ; he held Stockwell off to claim the gold medal . Video of the event confirmed that Stockwell had not been set when the starter pulled the trigger . Stockwell and the Australian Olympic Federation lodged an official protest , but it was denied . 
 Stockwell , along with teammates Greg <unk> , Neil Brooks and Michael Delany , won another silver medal in the men 's 4 × 100 @-@ metre freestyle relay , finishing in 3 : 19 @.@ 68 – just 0 @.@ 63 of a second behind the Americans ' new world record of 3 : 19 @.@ 05 . He also teamed up with Mark Kerry ( <unk> ) , Peter Evans ( <unk> ) , and Glenn Buchanan ( butterfly ) , swimming the freestyle anchor leg to win the bronze medal in the 4 × 100 @-@ metre medley relay ( 3 : 43 @.@ 25 ) behind the Americans ( 3 : 39 @.@ 30 ) and Canadians ( 3 : 43 @.@ 25 ) . He and his freestyle relay teammates were dubbed the " Mean Machine " by the Australian media . Stockwell was the only Australian athlete to win three Olympic medals in 1984 . 
 After the Olympics , Stockwell attended the University of Florida in <unk> , Florida , United States , where he swam for coach Randy Reese 's Florida Gators swimming and diving team in National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA ) and Southeastern Conference ( SEC ) competition during the 1984 – 85 school year . He won three SEC titles ( <unk> and 100 @-@ yard freestyle , 400 @-@ yard freestyle relay ) , and received All @-@ American honours in the same three events . While attending the university , he dated his future wife , Tracy Caulkins , who was also a Florida Gators swimmer . He and Caulkins had met in the warm @-@ up pool at the 1984 Olympics . 
 He followed his Olympic performance with a bronze medal for his third @-@ place finish in the 50 @-@ metre freestyle ( 23 @.@ 44 ) , and a fourth in the 100 @-@ metre freestyle ( 51 @.@ 64 ) at the 1985 Pan Pacific Championships in Tokyo . By the time the 1986 Commonwealth Games were held in Edinburgh , Stockwell had fallen back from his Olympic times in Los Angeles . He claimed a gold medal with his Australian teammates <unk> , Matthew <unk> and Neil Brooks in the 4 × 100 @-@ metre relay ( 3 : 21 @.@ 58 ) , and finished seventh in the 100 @-@ metre freestyle ( 51 @.@ 61 ) . He retired from competitive swimming in 1986 . In December 1989 , The Age newspaper recognized Stockwell as one of the three best Australian swimmers of the 1980s . 
 
 = = Life after swimming = = 
 
 Stockwell married American competition swimmer Tracy Caulkins , a three @-@ time Olympic gold medallist , in her hometown of Nashville , Tennessee in 1991 . He lives in Brisbane , with his wife and their five children . He received an Australian Sports Medal for his swimming achievements in 2000 . Stockwell was inducted into the Queensland Sport Hall of Fame in 2009 . 
 He is the managing director of the family @-@ owned property development , investment and management firm , W. A. Stockwell <unk> Ltd , based in Queensland . He and his brother @-@ in @-@ law Mike <unk> are co @-@ owners of the company that was established as a construction firm by his parents more than sixty years ago . The firm has had successful development ventures in residential , leisure , retail , commercial and industrial property , and has undertaken a phased AU $ 350 million residential development in Brisbane 's West End . He and his family members were included among the 14 new entries on the 2014 " Rich List , " with a combined estimated net worth of AU $ 101 million . 
 He serves on the board of directors of the Australian Sports Commission , and is the deputy chairman of the board . He is also the chairman of the Australian Sports Foundation , a non @-@ profit company that raises money for Australian sport projects . He previously served as the chairman of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games <unk> Committee , having led the committee through its successful application process , but was sacked by Campbell Newman . He is the chairman of Trade and Investment Queensland , the Queensland state government 's foreign investment and export program , and a past president of the Queensland division of the Property Council of Australia , and previously served on its national board . 
 Stockwell is the past chairman and a trustee of the St Laurence 's Old Boys ' Foundation , which funds need @-@ based <unk> for boys whose families cannot otherwise afford the tuition and fees at his high school , St Laurence 's College . He is a Trustee of the Stockwell Foundation , a charitable organisation established by him and his wife to benefit at @-@ risk children . 
 
 