Aussie pool queen Susie O’Neill reveals how she ‘celebrated’ her 50th birthday – and if she’s making a comeback after breaking a world record just weeks ago

Gold-winning Olympic legend Susie O’Neill has decided to swim laps to mark her 50th birthday as she gets herself into tip-top shape for a long-awaited return to the pool.

The woman known as ‘Madame Butterfly’ has marked her half-century by training for her first competitive swim since Sydney’s 2000 Games as she gears up for the World Aquatic Masters in Japan next week.

She stunned swimming fans when she set a new world record of 28.95 seconds for the 50-metre butterfly in her 50-54 age bracket at her local Brisbane pool in early June.

O’Neill will contest the 50-metre butterfly in Japan as she returns to the stroke that won her gold at the 1996 Olympics (pictured)

O’Neill didn’t even realise the significance of her swim at the time because she had originally planned to compete in the Masters as part of a mixed relay team featuring her radio show co-hosts from Nova FM.

Once she discovered she’d broken the world mark, she decided to enter the individual butterfly race as well. 

‘It was weird, I had no idea about the record. I was just swimming for a bit of fun as part of my 50th birthday celebrations next month,’ she said.

On Wednesday she posted a shot of her birthday celebrations in the radio studio and gave her fans an insight into how she wants to perform when the Masters kicks off in Fukuoka.

‘I think there will be a good amount of nerves, I’ve just got to make sure I don’t try too hard … because if you try too hard, you go slower,’ she told the Courier Mail.

‘I just have to stay relaxed and enjoy.’

On Wednesday O’Neill posted a shot of her birthday celebration with Nova radio co-hosts David Lutteral (left) and Ash Bradnam (right)

O’Neill (right) turned in her record-breaking swim came about as she trained to race in a relay with Lutterall (second from left) and Bradnam (second from right) 

O’Neill also had a definitive answer for any swimming fans wondering if breaking the world record has spurred her on to make a more extensive return to competition.

‘This will be a done and done,’ she said.

‘It’s more just to go over and have a bit of fun for my 50th, compete in the relay with the [Nova] boys.’

The two-time Olympic gold winner saw the lighter side of her return to the pool soon after setting the world record for her age group.

‘It’s my first butterfly race since the 200m butterfly in Sydney. Actually, it’s my first comp since the Sydney Olympics,’ she said.

‘I didn’t think I’d ever be coming to a swim meet again, and once again it’s affected all my weekend plans.’

O’Neill’s incredible career in the pool saw her win a total of eight Olympic medals as well as collecting 35 Australian titles and 24 gold medals in international competition.