What happened to Australian Olympic swimmer Stephanie Rice?

Stephanie Rice was once the name in Australian sport. The 35-year-old Olympic swimmer is a three-time gold medallist and has several world records to her name.
But after her incredible success at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, controversy resulted in the competitive swimmer from Brisbane all but disappearing from the limelight.
In news that surprised many, she packed up her life and moved to Dubai in November 2023. Now the former Olympian has announced some more big news: she’s engaged!
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The swimmer shared the exciting news to Instagram in a joined post with her now fiancé Mark Lassey, just a couple of months after making their relationship public. 
“Here’s to fresh starts and second chances … Yes to a lifetime with you,” Rice wrote alongside some gorgeous pictures of the pair celebrating their engagement.
In a follow-up post on her Instagram story, Rice shared another photo from their engagement shoot with the heartwarming caption: “Yes Yes Yes”. 
Lassey posted a wholesome snap of the pair together to his own story with Rice’s engagement ring in full sight.
“Love you @itsstephrice,” he sweetly wrote to his new fiancée.
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Lassey also tagged Charles Edward Jewellers – where he got the ring from – who congratulated the couple on their engagement news in an Instagram story message.
“Wishing you both a lifetime filled with love, joy and countless blessings. We’re honoured to have been a part of this special occasion.”
So, how did we get here? Here’s everything you need to know about Stephanie Rice’s swimming career, her controversial tweets, who her fiancé is, and what the former elite athlete is up to now in 2024.
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In July 2024, Rice confirmed she was dating someone new following her split from boyfriend Dane Christison.
Rice announced she had been dating father-of-three Mark Lassey for almost five months in a heartwarming and emotional Instagram post.
The former Olympian shared the pair “both knew this was different” when they met.
“From the start, there was a deep intentionally between us, and because of the complexities of our lives we wanted to keep these first few months between close family and friends, and enjoy the wonder of falling in love,” she continued.
In her post, Rice opened up about their different backgrounds and shared that a mutual friend had connected them. 
“If there is one word that sums up how both of us feel right now, it’s grateful,” she said.
Just weeks after going public with their romance, Lassey took to social media to share the five things he had learned about his partner in an adorable post.
Along with being “crazy smart”, the “most encouraging” person and “loyal”, Lassey gushed that the swimmer “makes u feel like u r the most important person in the world”.
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”Aww hunny you’re so kind and encouraging. Thank you baby. I love you. I love us. I love God and I’m soooo excited for our future ♥️” Rice responded in the comments.
On August 9, Lassey joined Rice in Australia to support her at the NSW Anglicare conference, where she was a keynote speaker.
“What an amazing moment watching her share her story for the first time. So insightful vulnerable and powerful,” he wrote to Instagram, also praising her faith.
“I’m proud to be your biggest cheerleader in every room.”
In her own post, Rice said it was “extra special” having Lassey by her side. 
“Feeling his endless encouragement and support makes me feel like I can do anything 🥰,” she added.
Just a week before their engagement news, Rice shared a sweet tribute for her partner, gushing that she had been waiting for him this whole time.
“I waited almost 36 years for this type of love, but now that we’re together, I know exactly why God had me wait … it was always for you!!” she said.
Rice shocked fans across the country when she relocated to Dubai in November 2023.
Rice shared news of her move to Dubai in a social media post, which she said came after a “rollercoaster of emotions” and a turbulent few months.
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“The past few months have been a rollercoaster of emotions, which have brought about so many wonderful changes which I’m excited to share with you as I start this new journey in Dubai,” Rice wrote on Instagram.
“At this stage I have no set plans yet in Dubai which is a little scary, I just knew I needed to follow this calling from deep within.”
Her lengthy captioned accompanied footage of herself on a plane, alongside the message: “POV: Packed up my whole life in Australia, bought a one-way ticket to Dubai to start a new chapter and I’m feeling all the emotions surrounding this fresh start … but God is good!”
“I just wanted to say that it was a really low time for me and I’ve obviously made a lot of changes,” she said in a follow-up post.
“I feel like the way I was doing things before just really wasn’t serving me and helping me get to where I really wanted to go. And so I’m here in Dubai, trying things differently.”
Rice then addressed the criticism she received after speaking publicly about her faith.
“My life has always been public and I’m no stranger to receiving criticism, or people that just don’t agree and that’s okay,” she continued
“Like I’m I’ve made my peace with that. I appreciate the love and support I get. I also see people that don’t have nice things to say and I’m just moving through that in my own time and asking for a bit of grace, but I just wanted to say thank you.”
After a brief trip back to Australia in March 2024, Rice reflected on her move.
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Posting a poignant message to her 147,000 Instagram followers, Rice said she was feeling emotional about returning home after a restorative move overseas.
“Landed back in Dubai 🛫 and I’m just reflecting on my trip back to Australia and how impactful it was. Not going to lie, I was really worried about how I would feel being back there, given when I left in November last year I was in a really bad place,” she explained.
“I needed this move overseas more than I ever could have imagined and being back in Australia made me realise how deeply God has healed me these past 4 months. I’d love to write a book one day and detail all the specific parts of this journey, because it’s been truly profound.”
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The former Olympic swimmer continued, revealing her faith in God has helped her adjust to the big life change and to deal with her anxiety.
“I’m feeling such a deep sense of peace, joy and gratitude for where I’m currently at and yet so excited and ready for what’s to come,” she added.
“Thank you for all your love and prayers and continual support as I navigate this new journey and walk with God.”
During an appearance on Today in June, Rice admitted her move to Dubai was “the best thing” she could have done.
Rice explained she “needed a fresh environment to kind of go through my own journey away from just the media and bits and pieces to kind of allow me that space”
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Stephanie Rice became a household name after her success at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
At just 20 years old, she won three gold medals.
Rice took home the gold for the 400-metre individual medley, the 200-metre individual medley and a third as part of the Australian 4×200 metre freestyle relay team.
After her many accolades at the games, Rice was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia the following year in 2009.
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Stephanie Rice retired from competitive swimming in 2014, citing a shoulder injury as her reason.
The then-25-year-old announced her retirement on her official website in a video recorded message just two years after the 2012 London Olympics.
“Coming off the Games, I really didn’t want to make a rash decision on my career and if I was going to keep swimming or not because I was still too emotional about the whole preparation that I’d just been through,” Rice said.
The swimmer shared that she had “felt a lot of pressure” following her 2008 Beijing success before announcing she would be leaving the sport.
“I definitely feel like I’m losing a part of myself but I’m really excited about what’s to come,” she said at the time.
Before her move to Dubai, Rice’s most recent venture outside of the pool was as part of the reality series SAS, but she was forced to withdraw from the show in October due to a dislocated shoulder.
It wasn’t her first stint on Australian television, however, as the former Olympian previously won the series Celebrity Apprentice in 2013.
Following her 2014 retirement, Rice continued working in the swimming circuit as a coach in the United States.
In 2021, the former competitive swimmer posted an emotional video after the Tokyo Olympics where she spoke candidly about retiring from the sport.
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“Watching the Olympics will always probably be tough emotionally for me, because it brings back so many strong emotions, both good and bad,” she wrote on Instagram.
“Many athletes and high performers speak about the challenges they face with mental health around transition. For me, transitioning was f—ing hard … and still is at times.”
The athlete then said she had felt “lost, depressed, irrelevant” after retiring, adding that she had had to “let go” of her previous self to move on.
“Honestly, now, after doing so much ‘work’ on myself, I truly am so so happy and content,” she then revealed. 
After the Beijing Olympics, Rice’s career was on a high.
However, this came crumbling down after the Olympic gold medallist wrote a homophobic slur on X (formerly Twitter) in 2010.
Rice received immediate backlash after she celebrated the Wallabies’ win against South Africa by telling the opposing team: “suck on that f—–ts.”
The tweet from Rice, who was 22 at the time, garnered national attention from the likes of former Aussie rugby league player Ian Roberts.
The actor, who is also gay, told News Corp at the time: “She is an idiot … and anyone who continues to endorse her as an athlete is an idiot as well.”
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Rice later apologised for the offensive tweet at a press conference.
”I owe it to those who I have offended to publicly say I am sorry,” she tearfully said.
“I also want to say it’s just not me to cause offence to other people no matter who they are. I am not a person who judges others or speaks in a way that hurts the feelings of others,” she continued.
The Olympian then added that her choice of words was “carless and thoughtless”, calling the incident the “worst time” in her career.
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Rice was ultimately dropped from her sponsor Jaguar over the tweets.
The swimmer recently re-addressed the controversy during her time on SAS. 
“Winning three gold medals at the Beijing Olympics was the best thing that ever happened to me,” she said.
“Overnight, that completely shifted. That tweet in 2010 definitely changed my life.”
Before her engagement, Stephanie Rice was most recently linked to former soldier Dane Christison.
One month after moving to Dubai, the former athlete shared another new development: a new man in her life.
The pair holidayed in the United States over Christmas, and made it clear they have one thing in common: a love of games.
Rice’s partner Dane Christison shared an Instagram video of them passing time at the airport with a round of battleships.
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“Love conquers all… but when it comes to Airport Battle Ships we take no prisoners,” he captioned the video.
Rice reposted the clip, adding, “Just 2 big kids who love games.”
The former athlete revealed her new love in a compilation of videos from their Christmas holiday in New York, revealing they met at church in Australia.
“I never would have expected the year to end this way … meeting you on my first week at Church in Brisbane and spending our first Christmas together in New York,” she wrote.
“I can’t tell you how long I’ve waited for this.”
They then enjoyed an upmarket date night in Dubai in January.
Rice confirmed her split from Christison in May 2024. 
Over the years, the former Olympian has dated some big names in the sporting world.
From 2006 to 2008, Rice was linked to fellow Aussie Olympic swimmer Eamon Sullivan.
Sadly, the pair split just before they both headed to the Beijing Olympics in 2008, with Sullivan confirming the break-up had been a “mutual decision”.
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“We decided to take a break to allow us to focus entirely on the Olympics,” Sullivan told media in 2008 in Kuala Lumpar, Malaysia.
“If it was going to distract us in any way then we wouldn’t have made that decision. We’re still friends and I don’t regret anything that I have done over the past two years.”
Rice went on to date Australian Rugby Union player Quade Cooper briefly from 2010 to 2011.
After just over 12 months together, the pair confirmed their split via a statement released by Rice’s representative Titus Day.
“Stephanie Rice has officially split with Quade and will be focusing 100 per cent on her Olympic preparation,” the statement said.
Rice has since been speculated to be dating several high profile names including Ryan Gosling and fellow Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps.
Rice was rumoured to be seeing US Olympic gold medallist Michael Phelps during the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
The New York Post reported that the pair were spotted kissing at a nightclub.
The day after the reports, Phelps and Rice posed together for a Speedo photo-call.
“It was just really great to meet him, to meet people of his calibre,” Rice told Woman’s Day in 2008.
“He’s such a great guy. He’s got an amazing body,” she added.
Stephanie Rice is on Instagram on the verified account @itsstephrice. She currently has more than 147,000 followers on the platform.
The former swimmer also has more than 121,000 followers on Facebook.