Australia’s golden girl of the pool has fallen hard for hunky fellow Olympic swimmer Ashley Delaney, reports Sarah Blake.
Sweating it out through long days of high-altitude training at a camp known as “torture” among competitive swimmers doesn’t sound like the most auspicious way for a love affair to start. But for three weeks last month, that’s exactly what happened for Stephanie Rice and Ashley Delaney.
The new couple’s team-mates say the chemistry was palpable during the weeks of intensive training in Phoenix in the Arizona desert.
“Ash is great – not merely a sensational looking bloke but someone with real substance,” says a member of the Australian swim team.
“He’s not a party animal. He’s modest, down-to-earth and dependable, and always easy to be around.
“You can see Steph’s so relaxed when she’s with him, in and out of the water.”
A talented backstroker based with the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra, 23-year-old Ashley is a long-time friend of Stephanie, and described by teammates as one of the nicest guys in Australian swimming.
“It may initially have been a surprise to a few people when they got together, but he has singlehandedly brought her sparkle back,” the swimmer says.
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