Nicole Stevenson is a swimmer who has competed for Australia. She competed at the 1988, 1992, and 1996 Summer Olympic Games.
Stevenson was highly regarded as one of the world's top female backstrokers in the early and mid-1990s, though she never attained a single gold at the Olympics. She started her Olympic career in 1988 under the maiden name Nicole Livingstone. She entered the finals of the backstroke double (100 and 200), placing seventh in the 100 and fifth in the 200.
After an unfortunate debut in Seoul, Stevenson arrived at her second Games four years later in Barcelona as a medal contender in the backstroke double. She missed the podium in the 100 metres backstroke by 0.35 seconds behind Lea Loveless and then rebounded to claim her first individual medal with a bronze in the 200 metres backstroke three days later. Her Oceanian record time (2:10.20) would also last for 16 years until Meagan Nay lowered it at the Australian trials in 2008.
Stevenson has continued to swim for the Australian team at Atlanta 1996 with her married surname. She helped her teammates snare the bronze in the 4x200 metres freestyle relay and added a silver by swimming through the backstroke leg in the 4x100 metres medley relay. On the individual side, she struggled to recapture her best form from Barcelona with a seventh place feat in the 100 metres backstroke and an early exit from the heats in the 200.
Shortly after her third Games, Stevenson retired from competitive swimming. Since 2000, she has travelled to six Olympic editions as a commentator for a swimming coverage.
She was married to Seoul 1988 cyclist Clayton Stevenson before they divorced a few years later.
Olympic Results[]
| Year | Event | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Women's 100m backstroke | 7th |
| Women's 200m backstroke | 5th | |
| Women's 4x100m medley relay | 4th | |
| 1992 | Women's 200m freestyle | 16th |
| Women's 100m backstroke | 4th | |
| Women's 200m backstroke | 
| |
| Women's 4x100m freestyle relay | 9th | |
| Women's 4x100m medley relay | 5th | |
| 1996 | Women's 100m backstroke | 7th |
| Women's 200m backstroke | 18th | |
| Women's 4x200m freestyle relay |
| |
| Women's 4x100m medley relay | 
|
1988[]
| Discipline | Round | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 metres backstroke | Heats | 1:03.26 | |
| A Final | 1:04.15 | ||
| 200 metres backstroke | Heats | 2:14.81 | |
| A Final | 2:13.43 | ||
| 4x100 metres medley relay | Heats | 4:14.32 (1:04.07 split) |
|
| Final | 4:11.57 (1:03.43 split) |
AR |
1992[]
| Discipline | Round | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 200 metres freestyle | Heats | 2:02.50 | |
| B Final | 2:04.21 | ||
| 100 metres backstroke | Heats | 1:02.54 | |
| A Final | 1:01.78 | ||
| 200 metres backstroke | Heats | 2:12.32 | |
| A Final | 2:10.20 | AR | |
| 4x100 metres freestyle relay | Heats | 3:49.64 (58.25 split) |
|
| Final | Did not advance | ||
| 4x100 metres medley relay | Heats | 4:12.54 (Reserve) |
|
| Final | 4:07.01 (1:02.09 split) |
AR | |
1996[]
| Discipline | Round | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 100 metres backstroke | Heats | 1:02.50 |
| A Final | 1:02.70 | |
| 200 metres backstroke | Heats | 2:16.71 |
| Final | Did not advance | |
| 4x200 metres freestyle relay | Heats | 8:09.33 (Reserve) |
| Final | 8:05.47 (2:03.23 split) | |
| 4x100 metres medley relay | Heats | 4:08.87 (1:03.07 split) |
| Final | 4:05.08 (1:02.65 split) |