Giaan Rooney is one of the most popular and loved sports people in Australia.

As a swimmer, she was fast, the 2001 World Champion in the 200m freestyle.

In Athens 2004, along with teammates Leisel Jones, Petria Thomas and Jodie Henry, Giaan won Olympic gold in the 100m medley relay, following on from two silver medals from the Sydney Games four years earlier.

On this episode of Road to Paris, Australia's darling, Giaan Rooney.

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Champion James Tomkins OAM is a triple Olympic gold medallist, two of those as part of the much loved Oarsome Foursome.

Their win in the Men’s Four at the Barcelona Olympics of 1992, made rowing cool and their defence in 1996 cemented their legacy as legends of Australian sport.

For Tomkins, there was more glory ahead, bronze in the Men’s Pair, against insurmountable odds in Sydney 2000. And four years later, a third Olympic gold in combination with long-time offsider Drew Ginn in the Pair.

He helped inspire a generation of rowers, many of whom will be seeking to emulate his dominance in the Regatta at the Paris games.

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There have been some almighty performances by Australian athletes, but the win by Kieren in the 1500m freestyle at Atlanta may be the greatest.

In the first form slump of his career, Perkins was last to be selected on the team when he laboured home in second behind Daniel Kowalski to qualify for the 1500m.

In Atlanta, the doom and gloom failed to lift but he made the final by 0.23 seconds.

What happened hext, is the stuff of legend.

On Road To Paris, the inside story of Kieran Perkins' spine chilling olympic defence, the fallout to his greatest triumph and will he go on to Sydney?

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