Simone Hankin is an athlete who has achieved her past glories through sheer determination, a natural gift, and love of her chosen sport and with the support of those around her. After playing five round Robin games and an Olympic semi final to qualify for the gold medal game, nothing was going to get in her way. Not even a dislocated shoulder in the semi final. It was make or break in the last game and after a miracle goal on full time Simone at last tasted the ecstasy of Olympic Gold.

We all went nuts," says Melissa Rippon. And so they did: dear Dawnie, mad-hat Laurie Lawrence and, yes, that ubiquitous sports tragic Johnny Howard, all cheers and tears in the erupting stadium as Australia stole the 2000 Olympics' most dramatic gold medal, the women's water polo, in the final seconds. Final 1.3 seconds, actually – that was the time left on the clock when, with the score deadlocked at 3-3 against the United States, Australia scored from a free throw to win 4-3. Six years on, I'm watching a video of the match and even though I know Australia will win, know that Yvette Higgins is going to score; I'm sitting forward, just as were 17,000 others in that giant aquatic stadium. And I'm excited, because what happened next bordered on sleight of hand. Not on the scale of a winged keel but . . . well, listen. The ref awards a free throw to Australia with four seconds left. Everyone can see the digital timekeeping clock on the scoreboard. The ref blows his whistle for Simone Hankin to take the free throw from in front of the goalmouth. The clock counts down. Higgins, the Australian furthest from the goal, flutters her hand, the smallest of "hiya" waves. The Americans don't notice. Higgins is not marked – she has no opponent harassing her – but from seven metres out, she's never better than a long shot to score. Most goals come from half that distance. The Americans are smothering the key Aussie attackers, near-as-damn piggybacking them, holding their cossies, grabbing their arms. They've covered all the bases, except for way off, way out Higgins. The deception continues. Hankin's pass to Higgins is so casual it's like an afterthought. Don't panic, anyone, it says, especially you, American sisters. Yet it's all happening at nano-speed.Two seconds left on the clock. Higgins catches Hankin's pass in her left hand, arches back, and rises majestically and with one powerful movement shoots for goal. The ball soars as though in slow motion, all eyes follow as it sails beyond despairing defenders' hands, brushes the fingers of the goalkeeper and crashes into the top left-hand corner of the net. The clock stops at 1.3s. Australia's gold. The Australian bench is airborne, the Americans crestfallen. From the open mouth of their coach, Guy William Baker, is drawn a long, stricken "Noooooo".