July 1988: best placing of 17th in Seoul Olympic games.
July 1992: poor results in Barcelona games blamed on injury.
October 1993: Erik de Bruin becomes coach.
1994: sets 23 Irish records in 12 months.
January 1995: wins three gold medals in Hong Kong World Cup series.
August 1995: becomes first Irish woman to win European championship medals with two gold and a silver.
July 1996: becomes first woman ever to win an Olympic medal for Ireland with gold in the 400m IM; wins second gold medal in the 400m FS. US swimmer Janet Evans suggests that Smith's extraordinary improvements are questionable.
July 1996: wins third gold medal in 200m IM. Questions relating to drug taking increase.
July 1996: wins silver medal in the 200m BF to finish off an extraordinary four medal haul.
November 1996: publishes biography Gold - A Triple Champion's Story.
May 1997: news breaks that Erik de Bruin may not be accredited for Seville European Championships because of an incident in Vienna, where he impersonated an official to gain entry to the drugs control area.
August 1997: wins gold medal in European Championships 400m IM; wins European gold medal in 200m; wins silver in 400m FS; wins silver in 200m BF, bringing her European total in Seville to two gold and two silver medals.
April 1998: press conference in Dublin confirms that de Bruin is being charged by FINA for adulterating a urine sample. May 1998: Michelle requests that her `B' sample be examined for the "lethal" doses of alcohol found in the initial `A' sample. `B' sample analysis confirms findings of `A' sample.
July 1998: FINA decides to act on sample findings, deferred after a lengthy submission by Michelle de Bruin's solicitor.
August 1998: Michelle de Bruin given maximum ban of four years for manipulating urine sample.