Triple Olympic medalist Samantha Riley has quietly split from her Iron Man husband after 22 years of marriage, as she is seen returning home to the Gold Coast with a mystery man.
Close friends of the couple have confirmed to Daily Mail Australia that Riley, 50, and her husband, iron champion Tim Fydler, 48, are now living apart but are parents to their three children in Palm Beach, in Gold. Coast.
Both Riley and Fydler were recently photographed without their wedding rings, and a close friend of both said their split has been going on “for some time now.”
“But they are still friendly with their children,” the friend added.
Swimming queen Sam Riley no longer wears her wedding ring after split with former ironman Tim Fydler
Tim Fydler seen enjoying a day of jet skiing on the Gold Coast recently
The glamorous sporty couple made headlines in 2001 when they tied the knot after a whirlwind romance.
Riley, then 29, had achieved international fame as one of Australia’s best breaststroke swimmers, competing at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 and Atlanta in 1996, winning two bronzes and one silver. She also won two golds at the 1994 World Championships in Rome.
Fydler is a Queensland ironman champion whose brother is Olympic relay gold medalist Chris Fydler.
Wed in a star-studded event in 2001, Riley and Fydler moved to the Gold Coast from Brisbane, where they established a successful chain of swim schools and ran several Snap Fitness gym franchises.
Riley remains one of Australia’s most famous swimmers, having dominated the breaststroke in the 1990s.
Fydler is a former Queensland ironman champion who now operates several Snap Fitness gyms.
Riley was seen coming home with a mystery friend after a trip (above)
The couple also invested wisely in real estate, selling their luxurious Burleigh Waters waterfront home in 2018 for $1.85 million and buying a Palm Beach mansion for $2.6 million.
They also own an oceanfront apartment on Palm Beach’s coveted Jefferson Lane.
Despite being one of the most famous couples in Australian sport, Riley and Fydler are notoriously private, having only given a handful of interviews in the last 20 years.
But a close friend of the couple told Daily Mail Australia that the couple’s split is well known among their inner circle, but the couple remain on friendly terms.
Both Riley and Fydler have been contacted for comment.
The couple have three children, including budding rugby star Isaac Fydler, 20, who is the spitting image of his Olympian mother.
The eldest son, Isaac Fydler, a budding rugby star, is the spitting image of his mother.
Sam Riley spotted in Burleigh Heads catching up with friends recently
A close friend of both Riley and Fydler (above at the couple’s Gold Coast home) tells Daily Mail Australia the couple’s split is well known in their inner circle, but the pair remain on friendly terms.
Riley remains on good terms with her husband despite the split
Riley rose to international fame as one of Australia’s best breaststroke swimmers, competing at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
Most recently, Riley spoke publicly after a lengthy court battle with prominent swimming coach Alex Brown over a former swimming school in Capalaba, southeast of Brisbane.
The Summer Swim facility, which traded as Capalaba Swim Stars, went bankrupt just four months after Riley sold it to Brown in September 2014.
Brown claimed in court that Riley agreed to train the new owner and staff for six months after the business changed hands.
Brown filed a $1.5 million lawsuit claiming lost income, but the case was ultimately dismissed in 2019 and Riley awarded a $90,000 counterclaim.
At the time, the former Olympian opened up about the ordeal and the emotional and financial strain it had caused her and Fydler.
“Everyone deserves to have their day in court, but this has been a nightmare,” Riley told the Courier Mail.
“He (Brown) has lost case after case, but he continues to file these ridiculous applications that have cost us so much financially and emotionally. It’s like there’s nothing stopping him.
Riley was recently seen coming home with a man after a trip.