Mel Marshall: “You Spend A Lot Of Days In The Dark For A Few Really Specials Days In The Light”
by CRAIG LORD – SWIMMING WORLD EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
10 December 2019
For the third time in as many weeks, Mel Marshal, mentor to Adam Peaty, Luke Greenbank and other speedy swimmers, has been honoured for her work.
The Action Woman Awards celebrate what the title suggests. Marshall collected the Lifetime Achievement Award, the oddness in the accolade for a 37-year-old not escaping the notice of Clare Balding, BBC presenter and Mistress of Ceremonies as she handed over the prize.
“Mel, you’re very young to be receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award… you’re only, what, 37 or something like that,” said Balding, famous beyond British shores for superb handling of a diversionary “more tea vicar?” moment in an interview with an elated Bert Le Clos back in 2012 after his ” beautiful boy” (Chad) had just claimed Olympic gold over 200m butterfly a fingertip ahead of a certain Michael Phelps (G.O.A.T).
There was no bleep to blot out Bert’s expletive of joy (before he asked ‘is this live?’). Balding steered the conversation masterfully clear of the !*$& off to calmer waters in which the sensitivities of the shire wallow.
“But,” justified Balding as the young Marshall with decades of achievement ahead of her stood before her on stage not much more than a decade beyond her own racing days, “It’s because you’ve done so much in such a short period of time.”
Or so it may seem for those who haven’t lived it. Gracious words of acceptance from Coach Marshall were followed by these gems:
“In sport you can spent a lot of days in the dark for a few really specials days in the light and so, today’s one of those days where you’re in the light, so it’s just a real honour – and thanks very much.”
Balding nails the obvious when she notes that Marshall’s relationship with her swimmers is “based on trust”, two-way trust. Says the winner of six medals for England at the 2006 Commonwealth Games:
“It’s like a marriage. We spent a lot of time together and a lot of time disliking each other… I say it’s like climbing Everest. Some days you need an oxygen mask, some days you need a tent, some days you need support and some days you just need somebody to listen to you. And we work through this challenges every single day and I’m incredibly lucky.
“When I left swimming in 2008, I wanted to work at the highest level with the best possible athletes and I really, honestly, get to live my dream every single day. They are a true privilege – and they have their moments, don’t get me wrong, but most of the time we’re all striving for the same thing and that’s a really special place to work.”
“In sport, you can spend a lot of days in the dark, for a few really special days in the light.”
“I get to live my dream every day, my athletes are a true privilege.”
An inspiring speech from @massivemel after she won the #ActionWoman Lifetime Achievement Award
351
5:02 PM – Dec 9, 2019
Twitter Ads info and privacy
75 people are talking about this
Balding raises the matter of motivating Peaty to strive for better when his best is so far ahead of the rest and Project 56 has been nailed, Tokyo defence and gold just around the corner.
Marshall, who this year lifted the UK Coaching Performance Coach of the Year Award and, for the forth time, the British Swimming Coach of the Year Award, and hopes so but scratches her ear in search of the inner voice that will deliver what she really wants to say:
“But, for me it’s in the sense of… a lot of performers don’t see their best performance because once the money comes, the car comes, all that kind of stuff, they just kind of get lost in that. But he [Peaty] hasn’t uncovered his best performance yet and he hasn’t found then best version of himself as a performer of a human being yet.
“Every single day we try to get that little but better as a person and get that little bit better as an athlete. And that’s what we’re going to try to uncover: the best version of him [Peaty].”
Kylie Masse Named Swimming Canada’s Female Swimmer of 2019
Being a model of consistency has made Kylie Masse one of the world’s best backstroke swimmers.
The 23-year-old, who trains at the University of Toronto, is the first Canadian to win back-to-back FINA World Championships gold medals. Since her bronze medal performance at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, Masse has won every major 100-metre backstroke race she has entered.
Kylie Masse – Photo Courtesy: Becca Wyant
At the 2019 FINA World Championships in Gwangju, South Korea, Masse defended her 100-m title while adding bronze in the 200-m backstroke. She also helped the women’s 4×100-m medley relay finish third.
Her success on the international stage has resulted in Masse being named Swimming Canada’s Female Swimmer of the Year.
It’s the third consecutive year Masse has won the award. While proud of what she’s accomplished, Masse is also focused on the future.
“It’s always an honour,” said the LaSalle, Ontario, native. “It’s important for me to be proud and be happy with my success in the past but also continue to look forward and continue to work hard and see what I can improve on.
“I think it’s only gets harder. I will continue to push myself day in and day out to continue to improve myself.”
Swimming Canada High Performance Director and National Coach John Atkinson, said Masse’s achievements put her among the world’s elite athletes. He said:
“I would describe her as one the best athletes in the world. To be a back-to-back world champion, and perform on the stage when it matters, is a testament to her abilities, commitment and dedication.”
In a sport where a fraction of a second can be the difference between elation and desolation, Masse continues to refine and enhance her stroke. A tiny tweak can have a big impact. Kylie Masse said:
“All those little things are so specific, but they can also take a lot of time off or it can add a lot time if you’re doing it poorly. There are a lot of small technical things that take a while to be consistent with and nail, so I just continue to practice those, and they become a habit.”
Talent is the foundation for any athlete, but the proper attitude is essential to help build success. Coach Linda Kiefer marvels at the positive mindset Masse brings to practice every day.
“I’m amazed by it sometimes,” said Kiefer. “I’ve seen too many athletes; they walk in and they’re not happy. She is a very happy-go-lucky person and that’s a compliment to her.
“I love that about her. It makes it a lot easier when you have an athlete that enjoys what they are doing.”
Atkinson credits Kiefer and Byron Macdonald, who also coaches Masse, for stoking her “ambition and desire to perform.”
“She’s a great racer,” said Atkinson. “You can improve technique, you can work on training, but champions have the inner ability to race when it counts. Kylie’s coaches have brought that out of her.”
Being the best at what she does makes Masse a target for other swimmers. She said:
“That’s something I had to learn to deal with,” she said. “It’s something that doesn’t come easy. I try to really focus on myself and not think about what other people are thinking or what other people saying. I bring it back to just having confidence in my training, confidence in myself and my support team around me.”
Kylie Masse – Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
Masse set the 100m backstroke world record of 58.10 seconds at the 2017 FINA World Championships in Budapest. American Kathleen Baker lowered the record to 58 seconds in July of 2018. Another American, 17-year-old Regan Smith set the mark of 57.57 seconds swimming the backstroke leg in the 4×100-m medley relay at this year’s world championships.
“I’m happy for her and it’s great that backstroke is so strong right now and so deep,” said Kylie Masse. “It’s really motivating for me and definitely pushes me to continue and try to be better.”
Kiefer said regaining the world record is on the agenda, but winning gold at this summer’s Olympics in Tokyo is the main goal.
“In the Olympics, the time is not as important as getting your hand on the wall first,” said Kiefer. “You remember who wins gold, silver and bronze at any event at the Olympics, but you don’t remember how fast they swam.”
The 100-m backstroke remains Masse’s focus but her world championship bronze in the 200 shows the progress she’s made in that event.
“It’s come a long way,” she said. “I have a lot more that I want to improve on. It’s a different race than the 100-m, so it’s been a kind of trial and error. I’m happy with how it’s come along so far.”
The road to Tokyo will begin with the Olympic and Paralympic Trials in April. Having experienced the 2016 Olympics will benefit Masse as she prepares for this summer’s Games.
“I feel like I’m more mature with my swimming,” Kylie Masse said. “Just recognizing how to handle the nerves and excitement and all the attention that leads up to trials. I’ll still be nervous, and I think that’s good to be nervous.
“It’s still early. I’m just being in the present now, and really focusing on each practice and giving it my all.”
FINA Marathon Swim World Series Announces 2020 Schedule
by DANIEL D’ADDONA
10 December, 2019
As open water swimming moves toward the Olympic year, FINA has announced the calendar for the 2020 edition of the FINA Marathon Swim World Series, which includes an 11-leg competition, taking place between February and October.
The FINA Marathon Swim World Series will open on February 8, in Rosario, Argentina, and will then move on to Doha (QAT) on February 15. After a short break, the participating athletes will then proceed to the beautiful scenario of Victoria, in Seychelles, on May 3.
The competition will then visit Europe, with stops scheduled in Budapest, Hungary, on June 6, and then Setubal, Portugal, on June 13. Lac St-Jean (July 19) and Lac Mégantic (August 8), will host the Canadian legs of the circuit, before returning to the Old Continent on August 30, in Ohrid (MKD).
The last three events will be held in Asia, with Nantou (TPE) welcoming the open water stars on September 19, and Chun’An (CHN) staging the 10th race of the year on October 16. The final leg of the 2020 Series is scheduled in Hong Kong, China (HKG) on October 25.
The 2020 FINA Marathon Swim World Series will distribute a total of US$ 680,000 as prize money to the best swimmers in the competition.
In the 2019 edition of the circuit, the winners of the Series were Kristof Rasovszky (HUN) among men, and Rachele Bruni (ITA) in the women’s category.
2020 FINA Marathon Swim World Series calendar:
1. Rosario (ARG) – February 8
2. Doha (QAT) – February 15
3. Victoria (SEY) – May 3
4. Budapest (HUN) – June 6
5. Setubal (POR) – June 13
6. Lac St-Jean (CAN) – July 19
7. Lac Mégantic (CAN) – August 8
8. Ohrid (MKD) – August 30
9. Nantou (TPE) – September 19
10. Chun’An (CHN) – October 16
11. Hong Kong, China (HKG) – October 25
Untitled Post
The ISHOF Aquatic Complex; A Birds eye view….
photos taken December 8, 2019
A very special thank you to Tyler and Terry Lee Lage who shared these great photos of ISHOF with us yesterday. They were taken with Tyler’s drone…..How fabulous are these ISHOF photos from up above?
West end of the complex
The new 50-meter pool (built in 1991)
Looking North
Happy Birthday Mike Barrowman !!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MIKE BARROWMAN!!! ISHOF Honoree and 1992 GOLD MEDALIST in the 200 meter BREASTSTROKE………
To read more about Mike’s story visit:
https://ishof.org/mike-barrowman.html
18 Sports Halls of Fame that are actually worth visiting……
18 Sports Halls of Fame that are
actually worth visiting
Photo: Philip Lange/Shutterstock
Matthew Meltzer
Nov 15, 2019
HALLS OF FAME weren’t originally meant for sports. The country’s first hall of fame was a sculpture garden dedicated to great Americans on the University Heights campus at NYU. That was back in 1900, and it was 39 years before baseball’s hall of fame opened its doors. Since then high schools, colleges, and pro teams both major and minor league have opened their own halls of fame. As well as halls — both real and virtual — for nearly every sport you can think of.
Some of those halls, however, come with world-class museums attached too. Or at least exhibits that will teach you more than you ever knew about the sport. Here are 18 around North America you should absolutely visit.
1. National Soccer Hall of Fame — Frisco, Texas
Photo: National Soccer Hall of Fame
Part of Toyota Stadium in Frisco, one of the newer halls tells the story of how soccer became a viable pro sport in the US. Beyond simple history and artifacts from over 200 inductees, the interactive museum offers stand-up platforms where guests can test their skills against video versions of soccer legends. It’s also the first US hall to use facial recognition software, so exhibits respond to visitors as they walk through.
Admission: $15
2. International Gymnastics Hall of Fame — Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma might seem an odd place to put the gymnastics hall of fame until you realize Shannon Miller, Bart Conner, and Nadia Comaneci all live there. The museum sits inside Science Museum Oklahoma, a permanent exhibition of gymnastics history and hand-drawn portraits of its 98 inductees.
Admission: $16
3. NASCAR Hall of Fame — Charlotte, North Carolina
Photo: ZikG/Shutterstock
This attachment to the Charlotte Convention Center tells the almost-unbelievable story of how a meeting at a hotel in Daytona Beach, Florida, launched the most successful auto racing league in history. You’ll walk up a ramp with replica cars banked on turns from different tracks then enter the hall of its 50 inductees. There’s also an interactive section, with stock car simulators and air-powered tools so you can time yourself changing tires like a NASCAR pit crew. Word to the wise: Avoid this area when school groups are visiting.
Admission: $25
4. International Swimming Hall of Fame — Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
This building, which sits between the Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean, is home to a massive collection of aquatic artifacts paying tribute to the best in swimming, water polo, diving, and synchronized swimming. You’ll also learn about US presidents who were also accomplished swimmers and see wraps, uniforms, and Olympic medals from the sport’s greatest athletes.
Admission: $8
5. National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum — Cooperstown, New York
Photo: PurpleHousePhotos/Shutterstock
Perhaps America’s most revered hall of fame, the Baseball Hall of Fame is home to 323 inductees with names like Ruth, Mantle, Mays, and Aaron topping the list. It sits in the quaint village of Cooperstown, nestled next to a lake in the Catskill Mountains, and draws over a quarter-million visitors a year. The exhibits feature items from some of the game’s most memorable moments, alongside uniforms that date back over 100 years. And for those looking for a heavy dose of childhood nostalgia, no museum comes close.
Admission: $23
6. Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum — Wichita Falls, Texas
Just to clear up any confusion, there is also a National Wrestling Hall of Fame with locations in Waterloo, Iowa, and Stillwater, Oklahoma, dedicated to talented grapplers and world-class athletes, exactly zero of whom you’ve probably heard of. But if you wanna see the tights, costumes, and props you saw on Monday Night RAW, head to Wichita Falls to this unofficial museum, which is adorned with more pro wrestling artifacts than you’ll find in a single other place. Plus, admission costs less than lunch.
Admission: $3
7. World Golf Hall of Fame — St. Augustine, Florida
Photo: World Golf Hall of Fame
Much like the game itself, golf’s hall of fame is a serene, relaxing experience set along an idyllic lake in historic St. Augustine. Just a few miles from the PGA Tour’s headquarters in Ponte Vedra, the World Golf Hall of Fame isn’t just a museum but an entire village complete with hotels, golf courses, and the PGA Tour academy where you improve your game after being inspired by the greats.
Admission: $20.95
8. Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame — Springfield, Massachusetts
One of the more architecturally interesting halls of fame sits in the “birthplace of basketball” just off Route 91 in Springfield, Massachusetts. The building is meant to look like a giant, light-covered basketball going into a net, and while the proportions are a little off from the real thing, it’s still a sight to behold. Inside, you’ll find the story of the game alongside exhibits on the over-400 inductees. Plus, a full-sized basketball court that plays host to high school and college competitions.
Admission: $25
9. World Chess Hall of Fame — St. Louis, Missouri
Photo: Philip Rozenski/Shutterstock
Since most Americans can’t name a single chess player after Bobby Fischer, this museum in St. Louis’s Central West End offers a lot more than a tribute to the game’s greats. You’ll also find chess-inspired art exhibits, classical music concerts, and even artist-designed mini-golf. There’s also exhibits on the game’s evolution in both the US and the world, with both American and international halls honoring its best players.
Admission: suggested donation of $3 per person
10. Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame — Colorado Springs, Colorado
A sport where animals are half the attraction seems an appropriate hall of fame to offer animal interactions. During the summer, the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame brings in retired bucking broncos, and guests have the opportunity to learn the horses’ contribution to the sport. Summer also features live roping competitions and convention rodeos, adding an element of action to a museum visit. And you’ll get an education in the history of pro rodeo and its role is Western culture inside the galleries.
Admission: $8
11. Hockey Hall of Fame — Toronto, Ontario
Photo: Pe3k/Shutterstock
Unlike most sports, where a new championship trophy is minted each year, hockey has but one Stanley Cup. And it lives in this 57,000 square foot museum at Brookfield Place in downtown Toronto. In addition to seeing the Cup, you’ll also tour the great hall with tributes to its 411 inductees, as well as walk through a replica Montreal Canadiens locker room and a terrifying wall of goalie masks. You’ll also have a chance to see if you can fill Don Cherry’s shoes when you call a game at the Broadcast Zone.
Admission: $20
12. World Figure Skating Museum and Hall of Fame — Colorado Springs, Colorado
We kind of take for granted that figure skaters are able to spin themselves through thin air, do flips, and land perfectly on a razor-thin metal blade. The physics of it all is mind-blowing — and broken down for you explicitly at America’s foremost figure skating museum. You’ll also see outfits worn during Olympic and national competitions, as well as figure-skating inspired art.
Admission: $5
13. International Boxing Hall of Fame — Canastota, New York
Photo: International Boxing Hall of Fame/Facebook
For a sport that dates back centuries, boxing has a relatively new hall of fame, only opening its doors in 1989. The exhibits inside tell the long history of the sport, with gloves and apparel from the 1900s, championship belts, and trunks worn by great champions. You’ll also have the chance to watch classic fights you may have only heard about and see the actual ring from Madison Square Garden where Muhammad Ali fought Joe Frazier in 1971.
Admission: $13.50
14. International Volleyball Hall of Fame — Holyoke, Massachusetts
The first thing you’ll learn upon going to the volleyball hall of fame is that volleyball was, in fact, invented at a YMCA in Holyoke in 1895. You’ll see how the sport went quickly from a cold New England gym to the sands of Hawaii 20 years later, and how the game on sand surpassed its indoor predecessor in popularity. Though most of the 130 inductees aren’t names you’ll necessarily know, the museum is still a fascinating look at a game so many play but know little about.
Admission: $8
15. International Tennis Hall of Fame — Newport, Rhode Island
Photo: Joy Brown/Shutterstock
Tennis holds the distinction of being the only hall of fame set in a National Historic Landmark, the grand Newport Casino that played host to the first US Men’s National Singles Championship in 1881. The casino’s grass court still hosts matches from time to time, but the main draw is the museum, full of rackets, outfits, and other remnants from the sport’s 900-plus years. In addition to learning how the professional game has evolved from its genteel roots in the 1800s, you’ll also have a chance to get some tips on your game from a holographic Roger Federer, and whisper your way through calling a classic match.
Admission: $15
16. Pro Football Hall of Fame — Canton, Ohio
Pro football offers one of the eerier halls of fame, where its enshrinees all have bronze busts lining the main gallery, giving visitors the feeling of walking through a room of floating heads. Not weird enough for you? Head to the “Game for Life” theater where long-dead legends George Halas and Vince Lombardi give holographic presentations. That weirdness aside, the museum has an unbelievable collection of Super Bowl artifacts and is also home to the Black College Football Hall of Game.
Admission: $26
17. National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame — Saratoga Springs, New York
Photo: Philip Rozenski/Shutterstock
Since the most legendary names in horse racing are, appropriately, horses, this tribute to the sport of kings in upstate New York is as much an art museum as a showcase of the athletes. Guests can wander among 70 sculptures that capture the power and beauty of thoroughbreds and transport themselves to a time when horse racing was more popular than football through an extensive photo exhibit. The physical hall of fame — where you’ll see jockey colors and plaques honoring the horses, jockeys, and trainers who ruled the track — is under renovation now but will reopen in July 2020.
Admission: $10
18. Bass Fishing Hall of Fame — Springfield, Missouri
Think you caught a pretty impressive fish on your last bass excursion in the Ozarks? See how you stack up to some of the world’s best anglers at the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame. This relatively new hall opened in 2017 as part of Johnny Morris’s Wonder of Wildlife, an exquisite recreation of most of the world’s landscapes and environments, complete with an aquarium that feels like walking inside a shipwreck.
Admission: $29.95
Swimming World Presents ‘Takeoff to Tokyo: The 2000 Olympics’ “Sydney 6″‘
Takeoff to Tokyo:The 2000 Olympics’ “Sydney 6”
By John Lohn
With the 32nd Olympiad slated for next summer in Japan, Swimming World will tip its cap to history. Through its “Takeoff to Tokyo” series, the magazine will examine some of the most significant moments in Olympic lore.
In another hemisphere, as winter gave way to spring, a unique era dawned. Nearly two decades ago, there was belief a group of fresh-faced boys could emerge as mainstays for United States Swimming. As they raced over eight days at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, experts could not help but ask: “Is something special happening here?”
History has proven, time and again, that not all rising talents realize their touted potential. So, strictly from a mathematical perspective, the odds were against these six teenage guys to do what they did.
It’s not that teenagers are unusual on the global scene. Rather, for several to emerge on a simultaneous path—and then continue to grow their careers—is what sets the Sydney Six aside as a distinct group. More, their individual stories included unique arcs.
There was Michael Phelps and the beginning of his climb to the top of Mount Olympus. There was the precocious sprinter in Anthony Ervin, who later in his career would write an epic comeback tale. While Maine-raised Ian Crocker emerged from an unusual locale, Aaron Peirsol was next in a long line of Southern California talents to make his name known. For Klete Keller, an under-the-radar approach became the norm. Then there was Erik Vendt, whose training tenacity and grinder personality served him well.
The scenario that unfolded for Michael Phelps, Anthony Ervin, Ian Crocker, Aaron Peirsol, Klete Keller and Erik Vendt could very well remain unmatched.
To read more about each swimmer of the Sydney 6,check out the November issue of Swimming World, out now!
Fitting Remembrance Day tribute to Olympic champion and Australian War hero Cecil Healy
by IAN HANSON – OCEANIA CORRESPONDENT
10 November 2019
In his first Remembrance Day tribute in Canberra today, Australian Governor-General David Hurley AC DSC, has paid tribute to legendary Olympic swimming gold medallist Cecil Healy – who remains the only Australian Olympic gold medallist to lose his life in the line of duty.
And sadly a man whose extraordinary deeds are still lost on many Australians.
General Hurley, himself a former senior Army officer who spent more than four decades in the military, delivered a moving and fitting commemorative address, honouring Healy, who had won gold in the 4x200m freestyle relay at the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm.
CECIL HEALY: Olympic gold medallist and War Hero Photos Courtesy:Healy Family Collection.
And who is also remembered for one of the most selfless acts of sportsmanship in Olympic history.
Healy, aged 33, lost his life serving with the Australian Imperial Forces during the Great War of 1914-18, a man who went on to enlist as an infantry platoon commander “despite his reservations about the causes and justification for the war” said General Hurley.
“Cecil Healy had no love of the military,” said General Hurley “No desire to fight. But he recognised that his values and his freedom was threatened.
“Reluctantly, he chose to serve, fully understanding the risk contained in that decision. In that, he is an example to us today….and we shall be forever grateful to the thousands of men and women, like Cecil, who we remember today.”
It was three years after his Olympic glory that Healy enlisted in the AIF on September 15, 1915 and after service as a quartermaster sergeant in the Army Service Corps in Egypt and France the champion Manly lifesaver and Olympic gold medallist transferred to the infantry officer school at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he swam, rowed, boxed and played rugby.
On June 1, 1918 he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the 19th (Sportsman’s) Battalion but was killed in his first action in the battle for Mont St Quentin, The Somme, on August 29 – just 74 days before the World War I Armistice was signed on November 11, 1918 and commemorated today.
DUKE KAHANAMOKU: Olympic champion and father of surfing. Photo Courtesy: Kahanamoku Collection.
And General Hurley’s due praise for Healy [Video of the speech at ABC] continued when he described as “the greatest act of sportsmanship in Olympic history” for Healy’s brave decision, when before the semi-finals of the 100m freestyle at the Stockholm Games, the US team, including race favourite Duke Kahanamoku had failed to arrive, he led a protest not to swim without Duke.
After a stand-off brought the Olympic swimming events to a stand-still, officials eventually agreed to wait for the Americans and it was Kahanamoku who went on to win the gold in 1:03.4 from Healy (1:04.6) with a second American Ken Huszagh taking the bronzed in 1:05.6.
The dramatic circumstance forged a friendship between Cecil and Duke that saw the Hawaiian “Father of Surfing” come to Sydney in 1915.
Healy helped organise Kahanamoku’s history-making visit, an adventure that inspired generations of surfboard riders – introducing the pastime to Freshwater Beach – where his surfboard remains in the club’s Hall of Champions (and it is fitting that in 2020, the sport of surfing will make its Olympic debut in Tokyo).
In his 2019 book “Cecil Healy – A Biography” 1960 Rome 100m freestyle gold medallist John Devitt, with co-author Larry Writer, wrote “Healy refused to swim in the 100-metres final unless the Duke, the favourite, was allowed to compete. The great Hawaiian had missed his semi-final after a misunderstanding over the starting time. Healy’s gesture cost him victory but earned him a place in sport’s pantheon of true champions.”
Devitt, another true champion who had long seen Healy as his hero, with their lives travelling down such similar paths in sport and in life and it had been a life long ambition of Devitt’s to travel to The Somme to visit Healy’s grave and honour his fellow Olympic champion with a detailed biography of his life.
STOCKHOLM OLYMPIC 4x200m freestyle relay gold medallists Les Boardman, Malcolm Champion (NZL), Cecil Healy and Harold Hardwick Photo Courtesy: Healy Family Collection.
At the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, Devitt had been part of the Australian gold medal-winning 4x200m freestyle relay team with Jon Henricks, Murray Rose and Kevin O’Halloran – 44 years after Healy had won the same gold medal with Leslie Boardman, Malcolm Champion (NZL) and Harold Hardwick in Stockholm.
(Ironically it was another 44 year gap between Olympic gold medal victories, when Ian Thorpe, Michael Klim, Todd Pearson and Bill Kirby also won gold in the 4x200m freestyle).
Such was Devitt’s feelings for his hero, when Manly Council chose to honour Devitt (like Healy a long time Manly Swimming Swimming Club member) by naming their new eight-lane indoor pool after the 1956 and 1960 Olympic champion.
But Devitt convinced the powers-that-be to change the name to the Devitt-Healy pool.
Devitt, also a former Australian Olympic Committee executive, was one of the men instrumental in getting the Olympics to Sydney in 2000.
He told Robert Patterson of the Manly Daily that it was important to him to have Healy’s name next to his as a “tangible memento.”
ROME OLYMPIC 100m freestyle champion John Devitt. Photo Courtesy: John Devitt.
Former Manly Mayor Jean Hay had originally planned to name the pool after Mr Devitt, but after talks with him, she asked the Northern Beaches Council to change it. Ms Hay, a long time supporter of the Olympics and sport, said she had known Mr Devitt since she was 12 and said he was deserving of the recognition.
“I regard myself as having had a similar life (to Cecil Healy),” said Devitt, “We have enjoyed a great escalator, we have been successful but when the discussion came up I thought Cecil should have been recognised…and I said our names should be associated.”
Patterson wrote that the humble act by Mr Devitt was fitting, given Mr Healy’s reputation as one of Australia’s most honourable sportsmen for his unselfish act in 1912 that would have certainly seen him win that individual Olympic gold.
As an elite young swimmer, as a resident of Manly on Sydney’s northern beaches, where Healy once lived, and as a noted swimming historian, Devitt became engrossed in the Healy legend, writing the labour of love on his hero’s life.
THE GRAVE of fallen Olympian Cecil Healy in The Somme. Photo Courtesy: Healy Family.
And again today a further fitting tribute to Cecil Healy by General Hurley, some 101 years after the death of a true Australian champion.
Cecil Healy and John Devitt are both honorees in the International Swimming Hall of Fame in Fort Lauderdale.
CECIL HEALY: A BIOGRAPHY is published by Stoke Hill Press. For more information about the book, or to arrange an interview with John Devitt or Larry Writer, please contact publisher Geoff Armstrong on the numbers listed above or via the Stoke Hill Press website: www.stokehillpress.com
Passages: Water Polo Legend István Szívós Passes Away at 71
by BRUCE WIGO
11 November 2019, 01:33pm
István Szívós, Jr, Water Polo Legend, Has Died
April 24, 1948 – November 10, 2019
István Szívós, Jr. – whose father was a two-time Olympic champion (in 1952 and 1956) and whose son, Marton, was a world champion and 2012 Olympian – has died in Budapest. Szívós took part in four Olympic Games and won four Olympic medals from 1968-1980. In addition to his Montreal title, he won silver medals at the 1972 Munich Olympics, and bronze medals at the 1968 Mexico City and 1980 Moscow Summer Games. In addition, he was a world and two-time European champion. He appeared in the national team at the age of eighteen in 1966 and played a total of 308 times until 1980. He was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame 1996, one year earlier than his father István Szívós, Sr., who won Olympic gold medals in water polo. The real water polo family of the Szívós family, István Szívós’s father, the older István Szívós was also an Olympic champion, while his son Márton Szivós won the gold of the World Championship.
Photo Courtesy: International Swimming Hall of Fame
István Szívós, Jr. was born on April 24, 1948 in Budapest. He was introduced the water polo at an early age and joined the Ferencváros Gymnastics Club (FTC) at the age of 12. His career was interesting. Because of his great size and extremely long arms, he would grow to a height of 6’8” with a wing span of 7 feet, he ushered in a new era in water polo that focused on the importance of the center forward position. Whether he caused the game to be tactically focused on the center position or he was the first star of the center oriented game is debatable, but according to Hall of Fame coach Dénes Kemény, the two are together.
It is no coincidence that Szívós played for the two clubs that dominated water polo in Hungary (FTC, OSC) during his career. In 1964, at the age of just 16, Szívós celebrated his first Cup championship, but in 1968, after playing in the Mexico City Olympic Games, he switched from playing for FTC to the Orvosegyetem Sport Club (OSC). The switch was not about money or any disagreement with FTC, it was because he wanted to be a dentist and it was customary at the time to play for a club associated with the university a player attended. Because of hostility on the part of FTC fans he sat out the first time the teams met after the change, but was encouraged by a friend who told him it was good “that they loved him so much “ He played for OSC for the remainder of his career and led them to several Hungarian and European Club titles.
Kemény said István Szívós is a role model because he continued his education as an Olympic and world champion, as a top athlete, and from the moment he received his diploma, he worked his entire life as a dentist without ever leaving the sport.
From 1974 he was an assistant professor at the SOTE Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics Department, from 1986 to 2010 he was an assistant professor. In addition to his work, he graduated from the College of Physical Education (now University) in 1981. From 1980 to 1981 he was the technical director of the Medicor OSC, and from 1983 to 1990 coached the FTC’s water polo team, and from 1986 to 1990 he was the leader of the youth and junior varsity teams.
In 1992 he was elected to the presidency of the Hungarian Water Polo Association, and in 2002 he became president of the Water Polo Department of the Central Sports School (KSI). He was selected as the Hungarian water polo player of the year three times (1969, 1970, 1971). In 1994 he was awarded the Civil Section of the Central Cross of the Republic of Hungary. In 1996 his handprint and signature were placed on the Wall of Hungarian Sports Stars. In 2000, he became a member of the Hungarian water polo team of the century, most of them from the 1976 Montreal championship team. In 2016, he received the László Papp Budapest Sports Award.
István Szívós
Born April 24, 1948 in Budapest
Nationality: Hungarian
Clubs as players: Ferencváros (1960-1968), OSC (1968-1980)
Best player results: Olympic champion (1976), Olympic silver medalist (1972), 2x Olympic bronze medalist (1968, 1980), world champion (1973), 2x world champion silver medalist (1975, 1978), 2x European champion (1974, 1977), Europe silver medalist (1970), world cup winner (1979), 9x Hungarian champion (1965, 1968-1974, 1978), 5x Hungarian Cup winner (1964, 1965, 1967, 1970, 1974), 2x BEK winner (1973, 1978) )
Clubs as coach: Ferencváros (1983-1990), youth, youth selection (1986-1990)
Best results as coach: 2x Hungarian Champion (1988, 1990), 2x Hungarian Cup Winner (1989, 1990), European Youth Champion (1989)
Awards: 3x Hungarian water polo player of the year (1969-1971), Hungarian Republic Medal of the Cross (1994), International Swimming Hall of Fame (1996), member of the Hungarian water polo team of the century (2000), László Papp Budapest-Sports Award (2016) Ferenc Csík Award (2018)
Bernard Freyberg: Swimmer Recognized As One Of British Military’s Greatest Heroes
By Bruce Wigo
Bernard Freyberg, a New Zealander who distinguished himself both in swimming and in war, used his expertise in swimming to perform one of the most heroic acts of World War I.
Challenges. Everyone experiences them. They are, after all, an important part of life. But people react very differently to the challenges with which they are confronted.
Some people do everything they possibly can to avoid having to respond to life’s challenges. They try to blend in with the scenery, making themselves as inconspicuous as possible in the hope that no one will see them and force them to react. Other folks take a sort of neutral approach: they don’t go seeking challenges, but when confronted by them, respond as best they can.
But there’s another, much smaller group of people who actively seek out challenges, who choose to do battle against other individuals, institutions, the natural elements or simply the state of civilization. These people look for challenges by which to test themselves.
Such a man was Bernard Freyberg.
To read more about Bernard Freyberg and his feats of heroism in the water,check out the November issue of Swimming World, out now!