Michelle Smith won three gold and one bronze medals at the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games.

However, her achievements have remained highly controversial due to a four-year ban she received separately from FINA in 1998 for tampering with a doping control sample, a sanction upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Smith was raised in Rathcoole, County Dublin, and made her Olympic debut at Seoul 1988, finishing 35th in the 200m backstroke, 32nd in the 200m individual medley, and 26th in the 400m individual medley

Four years later, at the Barcelona 1992 Games, she again failed to advance beyond the heats, finishing 27th in the 200m backstroke, 26th in the 200m individual medley, and 25th in the 400m individual medley.

At Atlanta 1996, Smith won gold in the 200m Individual Medley, the 400m Freestyle; and the 400m Individual Medley. She also won a bronze medal in the 200m Butterfly.