James Roberts is an Australian sprint freestyle specialist and two-time Olympian. After a battle to return from injury, Roberts won a bronze medal as a member of the 4×100 meter freestyle relay. Roberts trains under Ashley Callus at Somerset College and has a degree in Advertising from University of Canberra.
2012 London Olympics
A blistering swim at the Australian Olympic Trials qualified Roberts for his first Olympic Games in the 100 meter freestyle. His time at the trials of 47.63 remains the fourth fastest ever in a textile suit.
At the Games, Australia were the favorites for gold in the 4×100 meter freestyle relay final but they were left disappointed and without a medal. Roberts along with James Magnussen, Matt Targett and Eamon Sullivan finished fourth.
Plagued By Injury
A year after the Olympics, Roberts suffered through a back injury and when a degenerative disc injury to his lower back kept him out of the 2014 Commonwealth Games, he decided to take some time out of the pool. Roberts injury troubles weren’t over. In late 2014 he underwent the first of two shoulder reconstructions. His second came in February 2015.
With just over a year left before the Olympics in Rio doctors advised Roberts to aim for the 2018 Commonwealth Games. But he had other ideas. Roberts moved to the Gold Coast to train under his former teammate, Ashley Callus, a gold medallist at the Sydney Olympics.
2016 Rio Olympics
Roberts defied his doctors odds and booked his ticket to Rio with a third place finish in the 100 meter freestyle at the Australian Olympic Trials. In Rio he lead off the relay in the final, helping Australia to a bronze medal.
2018 Pan Pacific Championships
On day 3, he swam 3rd on Australia’s 4×100 free relay (47.97) that finished 3rd overall, but ultimately wound up winning the silver after USA was DQ’ed for swimming in the wrong order.
