David Dickson (swimmer)
Encyclopedia
David Dickson was an Australia
n freestyle
swimmer of the 1960s, who won three bronze medals in freestyle and medley relay events at the 1960 Summer Olympics
and the 1964 Summer Olympics
in Rome
and Tokyo
respectively.
, Jon Henricks
and Murray Rose
, Dickson broke the world record on 6 August 1960, at the Tobruk Pool
in Townsville, Queensland
. However in the Olympic final, swimming alongside individual gold medallists John Devitt
, Murray Rose
and John Konrads
Dickson finished third behind the United States
and Japan
.
, Dickson finished third in the 110 yd freestyle, beaten by Dick Pound
of Canada
and Bobby McGregor of Scotland
. However Dickson won gold in the 4×110 yd freestyle relay (with Rose, Peter Doak
and Peter Phelps) and the 4×110 yd medley relay with Julian Carroll
, Ian O'Brien
and Kevin Berry
, all of whom had won their respective individual events.
As he was the Australian 880 yd freestyle champion. However, a last minute public appeal brought Rose back from the United States
, where he was studying and competing in the US collegiate system. Wood was relegated to silver in the 440 yd freestyle behind Rose and bronze in the 1650 yd freestyle, behind Rose and Windle. Wood won a gold medal in the 4×220 yd freestyle relay, alongside Windle, Rose and Anthony Strahan, setting a world record in the process.
Prior to the Tokyo Olympics, Dickson was sent on an international tour to compete, along with Berry, O'Brien and Bob Windle
, in the hope that their honed racecraft would help them in Tokyo. The other three won gold in their respective events, but Dickson was eliminated in the semifinal of the 100m freestyle.
Along with John Ryan
, Doak and Windle, Dickson won bronze in the 4×100 m freestyle relay. He complemented this with another bronze in the 4×100 m medley relay, alongside Berry, O'Brien and Peter Reynolds
. He narrowly missed a medal in the 4×200 m freestyle relay, finishing fourth with Windle, Doak and Allan Wood
.
, Jamaica
. He again took the bronze medal in the 110 yd freestyle, won by fellow Australian Michael Wenden
, and won gold in the both the 4×110 yd and 4×220 yd freestyle relays.
's first representative on the board of the Australian Olympic Federation
.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n freestyle
Freestyle swimming
Freestyle is an unregulated swimming style used in swimming competitions according to the rules of FINA. The front crawl stroke is almost universally used during a freestyle race, as this style is generally the fastest...
swimmer of the 1960s, who won three bronze medals in freestyle and medley relay events at the 1960 Summer Olympics
1960 Summer Olympics
The 1960 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held from August 25 to September 11, 1960 in Rome, Italy...
and the 1964 Summer Olympics
1964 Summer Olympics
The 1964 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Tokyo, Japan in 1964. Tokyo had been awarded with the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this honor was subsequently passed to Helsinki because of Japan's...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
and Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
respectively.
1960 Summer Olympics
Dickson was selected to make his international debut at Rome in the 4×200 m freestyle relay. With John KonradsJohn Konrads
John Konrads is an retired Australian freestyle swimmer of the 1950s and 1960s, who won the 1500 m freestyle at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. In his career, he set 26 individual world records, and after his swimming career ended, was the Australasian director of L'Oréal, as well as campaigning...
, Jon Henricks
Jon Henricks
John Malcolm Henricks started his swimming career as a distance swimmer, scoring his first real successes in 1952 when he came in 3rd in the Australian 1500 meters, 2nd in the 800, and won the 400 meters. The distance work proved too arduous, perhaps due to a prolonged ear infection that kept...
and Murray Rose
Murray Rose
Iain Murray Rose AM was born on 6 January 1939 in Nairn, Scotland, but he moved to Australia with his family at an early age after World War II. He took up swimming as a boy and was an Olympic Games champion at age 17....
, Dickson broke the world record on 6 August 1960, at the Tobruk Pool
Tobruk Memorial Baths
The Tobruk Memorial Baths in Townsville, Australia is a complex of outdoor swimming pools operated by the Townsville City Council. It is located on The Strand, in the beachside suburb of North Ward.-Facilities:...
in Townsville, Queensland
Townsville, Queensland
Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Australia, in the state of Queensland. Adjacent to the central section of the Great Barrier Reef, it is in the dry tropics region of Queensland. Townsville is Australia's largest urban centre north of the Sunshine Coast, with a 2006 census...
. However in the Olympic final, swimming alongside individual gold medallists John Devitt
John Devitt
John Thomas Devitt was an Australian sprint freestyle swimmer of the 1960s, who won a gold medal in the 100 m freestyle at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. He won in controversial circumstances, being awarded the gold medal despite the timekeepers recording a slower time than the silver medallist...
, Murray Rose
Murray Rose
Iain Murray Rose AM was born on 6 January 1939 in Nairn, Scotland, but he moved to Australia with his family at an early age after World War II. He took up swimming as a boy and was an Olympic Games champion at age 17....
and John Konrads
John Konrads
John Konrads is an retired Australian freestyle swimmer of the 1950s and 1960s, who won the 1500 m freestyle at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. In his career, he set 26 individual world records, and after his swimming career ended, was the Australasian director of L'Oréal, as well as campaigning...
Dickson finished third behind the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
1962 Commonwealth Games
At the 1962 Commonwealth Games in PerthPerth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, Dickson finished third in the 110 yd freestyle, beaten by Dick Pound
Dick Pound
Richard William Duncan Pound, is a Canadian lawyer, partner of the law firm Stikeman Elliott, the former president of the World Anti-Doping Agency based in Montreal, and former chancellor of McGill University...
of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and Bobby McGregor of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. However Dickson won gold in the 4×110 yd freestyle relay (with Rose, Peter Doak
Peter Doak
Peter Doak was an Australian sprint freestyle swimmer of the 1960s, who won a bronze medal in the 4x100m freestyle relay at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics....
and Peter Phelps) and the 4×110 yd medley relay with Julian Carroll
Julian Carroll
Julian Morton Carroll is a politician from the US state of Kentucky. A Democrat, he is presently a member of the Kentucky Senate, representing Anderson, Franklin, Woodford, and part of Fayette counties. From 1974 to 1979, he served as the 54th Governor of Kentucky, succeeding Wendell H. Ford, who...
, Ian O'Brien
Ian O'Brien
Ian Lovett O'Brien is a former Australian breaststroke swimmer of the 1960s, who won the 200 metre breaststroke at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo in world record time...
and Kevin Berry
Kevin Berry
Kevin John Berry OAM was an Australian butterfly swimmer of the 1960s who won the gold medal in the 200 m butterfly at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. He set twelve world records in his career...
, all of whom had won their respective individual events.
As he was the Australian 880 yd freestyle champion. However, a last minute public appeal brought Rose back from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where he was studying and competing in the US collegiate system. Wood was relegated to silver in the 440 yd freestyle behind Rose and bronze in the 1650 yd freestyle, behind Rose and Windle. Wood won a gold medal in the 4×220 yd freestyle relay, alongside Windle, Rose and Anthony Strahan, setting a world record in the process.
Prior to the Tokyo Olympics, Dickson was sent on an international tour to compete, along with Berry, O'Brien and Bob Windle
Bob Windle
Robert George "Bob" Windle is a former Australian freestyle swimmer of the 1960s, who won four Olympic medals, including an individual gold medal...
, in the hope that their honed racecraft would help them in Tokyo. The other three won gold in their respective events, but Dickson was eliminated in the semifinal of the 100m freestyle.
Along with John Ryan
John Ryan (swimmer)
John Ryan was an Australian sprint freestyle swimmer of the 1960s, who won a bronze medal in the 4x100m freestyle relay at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics....
, Doak and Windle, Dickson won bronze in the 4×100 m freestyle relay. He complemented this with another bronze in the 4×100 m medley relay, alongside Berry, O'Brien and Peter Reynolds
Peter Reynolds
Peter Askin Reynolds was an Australian freestyle and medley swimmer of the 1960s, who won a bronze medal in the 4x100m medley relay at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo...
. He narrowly missed a medal in the 4×200 m freestyle relay, finishing fourth with Windle, Doak and Allan Wood
Allan Wood
Allan Wood was an Australian freestyle swimmer of the 1960s, who won two bronze medals in the 400 m and 1500 m freestyle events at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo...
.
1966 Commonwealth games
Dickson was accorded the honour of carrying the Australian flag at the 1966 Commonwealth Games in KingstonKingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
, Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
. He again took the bronze medal in the 110 yd freestyle, won by fellow Australian Michael Wenden
Michael Wenden
Michael Vincent Wenden AM MBE was a champion swimmer who represented Australia in the 1968 Summer Olympics and 1972 Summer Olympics...
, and won gold in the both the 4×110 yd and 4×220 yd freestyle relays.
Australian Olympic Committee
In 1989, Dickson was elected as the ACTAustralian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...
's first representative on the board of the Australian Olympic Federation
Australian Olympic Committee
The Australian Olympic Committee is the National Olympic Committee in Australia for the Olympic Games movement. It is a non-profit organisation that selects teams, and raises funds to send Australian competitors to Olympic events organised by the International Olympic Committee .-Background:The...
.