John Devitt
Encyclopedia
John Thomas Devitt was an Australia
n 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 Lance Larson
of the United States
. He also claimed a gold medal at the 1956 Summer Olympics
in Melbourne
, in the 4x200 m freestyle relay.
Growing up just 250 m from the Granville Olympic Pool, Devitt learnt to swim as part of the government-funded Learn to Swim program. He was educated first at Trongate School, and later at Marist Brothers College in Parramatta
. Both were Roman Catholic schools, where he also swum competitively for the school team. Devitt was initially trained by Tom Penny at the Clyde Swim Club, based at the Granville Pool, until it disbanded in 1947 and he moved to Manly Swim Club
along with Penny. Devitt remains a member of the Swim Club. Penny often allowed his swimmers to train in warm waters by having them swim against the current of discharged water from a power plant. Devitt believed that such training gave him an advantage as it taught him to be unaffected by "rain, heat, currents or any other natural or unnatural variables".
Devitt's first forays into national competition were at the 1952 Australian Championships, where he was continually in the shadow of club-mate Barry Darke, who set five Australian records in their age group. Devitt trailed Darke again at the 1953 championships, but Darke retired afterwards to become a mechanic, leaving Devitt to dominate his age group. However, in the open ranks, he was often beaten by Jon Henricks
in the sprint events, and Gary Chapman
and Murray Rose
in the longer events. Rose and Henricks went on to claim individual gold at the 1956 Summer Olympics
. At the age of 18, with Henricks initially sidelined by injury, Devitt was named as the captain of the New South Wales
team for the 1955 Australian Championships. However, Henricks recovered and relegated Devitt to silver in the 110yd freestyle. He claimed silver in the 220yd freestyle, behind Rose. Devitt's decision to concentrate on sprinting led to conflict with Penny, and he then left Penny and began self-coaching. After beginning to regress, Devitt considered retirement, until he joined Sam Herford at the Spit Baths alongside Murray Rose.
At the 1956 Australian Championships, Devitt finished third in the 110yd behind Henricks and Chapman, and fifth in the 220yd behind Chapman to gain Olympic selection. After a ten-week national training camp at the Tobruk Pool
in Townsville
, Queensland
, Devitt was named as the national captain for the 1956 Summer Olympics
in Melbourne
. Devitt's first event was the 100 m freestyle, where he won his heat and then his semi-final to qualify in second place for the final, where he matched Henricks for the first 80 m, before Henricks surged to claim gold. Chapman completed an Australian sweep by finishing third. For the 4x200 m freestyle relay, Devitt had clocked the fourth fastest time at the Australian Championships. After swimming the fastest leg in the heats of the relay, he was selected along with Rose, Henricks and Kevin O'Halloran
for the final. The Australians won the gold medal in a world record time, with Devitt clocking the fastest leg in the whole race.
In January 1957, Devitt set a world record in both the 100 m and 110yd freestyle, and lowered the 100 m freestyle world record to 54.6s later that month at the Queensland Championships. He then won his first individual Australian title in the 110yd freestyle. With Henricks and Rose swimming and studying in the United States
, Devitt became the dominant Australian freestyler, and decided to continue his career until the 1960 Summer Olympics
, supporting himself as a health inspector for the Townsville City Council. In 1958, after claiming the Australian 110yd title, he claimed three golds at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games
in Cardiff
in the 110yd freestyle, and the 4x110yd freestyle and medley relays. In 1959, Devitt again lowered the 110yd freestyle, but was later defeated at the Australian Championships by John Konrads
, who won every freestyle title from the 110yd to 1650yd events.
In 1960 Devitt reclaimed his 110yd Australian title, and at the pre-1960 Summer Olympics
camp in Townsville, broke the 4x100yd freestyle relay along with Henricks, Geoff Shipton
and David Dickson
. At the 110yd freestyle trial, he came third behind Henricks and Shipton, and was controversially selected as the second Australian representative, by selectors who ignored Shipton. He also finished fifth in the 220yd freestyle and was initially left out of the 4x200 m freestyle relay team. Devitt was again named the national captain.
On arrival in Rome, Henricks was forced to withdraw from competition after falling ill. Devitt held a solid lead until the last 10 m when Larson surged and both appeared to have touched the wall together. Of the three judges who determined the first-place winner, two awarded Devitt as the winner. However, of the three judges assigned to allocate the second-place winner, two believed Devitt to have come second. Moreover, the three timekeepers assigned to the contest all believed Larson had won, giving times of 55.0s, 55.1s and 55.1s, while awarding three 55.2s for Devitt. Nevertheless, the chief judge overruled the timekeepers, setting Devitt and Larson's times to 55.2s each and allocating the gold to Devitt on the evidence of the first-place judges. Multiple protests by the Americans continued for several years, to no avail. Devitt also competed in the 4x200 m freestyle with Rose, Konrads and Dickson, winning a bronze medal.
Upon returning to Australia, Devitt retired and began working for Speedo
. He rose from a salesman to become the European manager, and later, manager of the International section. In 1979, he combined with Terry Gathercole
to begin their own aquatic equipment firm. In the 1980s, he became an Olympic administrator, serving on the Australian Olympic Committee
executive. He was involved in Sydney
's winning bid for the 2000 Summer Olympics
and was the Australian team manager for the 2006 Commonwealth Games
.
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 sprint 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 a gold medal in the 100 m freestyle 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...
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...
. He won in controversial circumstances, being awarded the gold medal despite the timekeepers recording a slower time than the silver medallist Lance Larson
Lance Larson
Lance Larson is an American swimmer and Olympic champion. He competed at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, where he received a gold medal in the 4 × 100 meter medley relay. He received a silver medal in the 100 meter freestyle....
of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He also claimed a gold medal at the 1956 Summer Olympics
1956 Summer Olympics
The 1956 Melbourne Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in Melbourne, Australia, in 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, which could not be held in Australia due to quarantine regulations...
in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, in the 4x200 m freestyle relay.
Growing up just 250 m from the Granville Olympic Pool, Devitt learnt to swim as part of the government-funded Learn to Swim program. He was educated first at Trongate School, and later at Marist Brothers College in Parramatta
Parramatta, New South Wales
Parramatta is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located in Greater Western Sydney west of the Sydney central business district on the banks of the Parramatta River. Parramatta is the administrative seat of the Local Government Area of the City of Parramatta...
. Both were Roman Catholic schools, where he also swum competitively for the school team. Devitt was initially trained by Tom Penny at the Clyde Swim Club, based at the Granville Pool, until it disbanded in 1947 and he moved to Manly Swim Club
Manly, New South Wales
Manly is a suburb of northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Manly is located 17 kilometres north-east of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the local government area of Manly Council, in the Northern Beaches region.-History:Manly was named...
along with Penny. Devitt remains a member of the Swim Club. Penny often allowed his swimmers to train in warm waters by having them swim against the current of discharged water from a power plant. Devitt believed that such training gave him an advantage as it taught him to be unaffected by "rain, heat, currents or any other natural or unnatural variables".
Devitt's first forays into national competition were at the 1952 Australian Championships, where he was continually in the shadow of club-mate Barry Darke, who set five Australian records in their age group. Devitt trailed Darke again at the 1953 championships, but Darke retired afterwards to become a mechanic, leaving Devitt to dominate his age group. However, in the open ranks, he was often beaten by 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...
in the sprint events, and Gary Chapman
Gary Chapman (swimmer)
Gary Arthur Chapman was an Australian freestyle swimmer of the 1950s who won a bronze medal in the 100m freestyle at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics...
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....
in the longer events. Rose and Henricks went on to claim individual gold at the 1956 Summer Olympics
1956 Summer Olympics
The 1956 Melbourne Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in Melbourne, Australia, in 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, which could not be held in Australia due to quarantine regulations...
. At the age of 18, with Henricks initially sidelined by injury, Devitt was named as the captain of the New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
team for the 1955 Australian Championships. However, Henricks recovered and relegated Devitt to silver in the 110yd freestyle. He claimed silver in the 220yd freestyle, behind Rose. Devitt's decision to concentrate on sprinting led to conflict with Penny, and he then left Penny and began self-coaching. After beginning to regress, Devitt considered retirement, until he joined Sam Herford at the Spit Baths alongside Murray Rose.
At the 1956 Australian Championships, Devitt finished third in the 110yd behind Henricks and Chapman, and fifth in the 220yd behind Chapman to gain Olympic selection. After a ten-week national training camp 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
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...
, Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Devitt was named as the national captain for the 1956 Summer Olympics
1956 Summer Olympics
The 1956 Melbourne Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in Melbourne, Australia, in 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, which could not be held in Australia due to quarantine regulations...
in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
. Devitt's first event was the 100 m freestyle, where he won his heat and then his semi-final to qualify in second place for the final, where he matched Henricks for the first 80 m, before Henricks surged to claim gold. Chapman completed an Australian sweep by finishing third. For the 4x200 m freestyle relay, Devitt had clocked the fourth fastest time at the Australian Championships. After swimming the fastest leg in the heats of the relay, he was selected along with Rose, Henricks and Kevin O'Halloran
Kevin O'Halloran
Kevin O'Halloran was an Australian freestyle swimmer of the 1950s, who won a gold medal in the 4 × 200 m freestyle relay at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne. The first Western Australian to win Olympic gold, O'Halloran learnt to swim in his home town of Katanning...
for the final. The Australians won the gold medal in a world record time, with Devitt clocking the fastest leg in the whole race.
In January 1957, Devitt set a world record in both the 100 m and 110yd freestyle, and lowered the 100 m freestyle world record to 54.6s later that month at the Queensland Championships. He then won his first individual Australian title in the 110yd freestyle. With Henricks and Rose swimming and studying in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Devitt became the dominant Australian freestyler, and decided to continue his career until 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...
, supporting himself as a health inspector for the Townsville City Council. In 1958, after claiming the Australian 110yd title, he claimed three golds at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games
1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games
The 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games were held in Cardiff, capital of Wales from 18–26 July 1958.Thirty-five nations sent a total of 1,130 athletes and 228 officials to the Cardiff Games and 23 countries and dependencies won medals, including, for the first time, Singapore, Ghana, Kenya...
in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
in the 110yd freestyle, and the 4x110yd freestyle and medley relays. In 1959, Devitt again lowered the 110yd freestyle, but was later defeated at the Australian Championships by 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...
, who won every freestyle title from the 110yd to 1650yd events.
In 1960 Devitt reclaimed his 110yd Australian title, and at the pre-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...
camp in Townsville, broke the 4x100yd freestyle relay along with Henricks, Geoff Shipton
Geoff Shipton
Geoffrey Shipton was an Australian sprint freestyle swimmer of the 1950s and 1960s, who won a silver medal in the 4x100m medley relay at the 1960 Rome Olympics....
and David Dickson
David Dickson (swimmer)
David Dickson was an Australian 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.-1960 Summer Olympics:Dickson was selected to make his international debut at...
. At the 110yd freestyle trial, he came third behind Henricks and Shipton, and was controversially selected as the second Australian representative, by selectors who ignored Shipton. He also finished fifth in the 220yd freestyle and was initially left out of the 4x200 m freestyle relay team. Devitt was again named the national captain.
On arrival in Rome, Henricks was forced to withdraw from competition after falling ill. Devitt held a solid lead until the last 10 m when Larson surged and both appeared to have touched the wall together. Of the three judges who determined the first-place winner, two awarded Devitt as the winner. However, of the three judges assigned to allocate the second-place winner, two believed Devitt to have come second. Moreover, the three timekeepers assigned to the contest all believed Larson had won, giving times of 55.0s, 55.1s and 55.1s, while awarding three 55.2s for Devitt. Nevertheless, the chief judge overruled the timekeepers, setting Devitt and Larson's times to 55.2s each and allocating the gold to Devitt on the evidence of the first-place judges. Multiple protests by the Americans continued for several years, to no avail. Devitt also competed in the 4x200 m freestyle with Rose, Konrads and Dickson, winning a bronze medal.
Upon returning to Australia, Devitt retired and began working for Speedo
Speedo
Speedo International Ltd. is a manufacturer and distributor of swimwear and swim-related accessories. Founded in Australia in 1914, the industry leading company is now a subsidiary of Pentland Group Plc. Today, the Speedo brand can be found on products ranging from swimsuits and goggles to wrist...
. He rose from a salesman to become the European manager, and later, manager of the International section. In 1979, he combined with Terry Gathercole
Terry Gathercole
Terrence Stephen Gathercole OAM , was an Australian breaststroke swimmer of the 1950s and 1960s, who won a silver medal in the 4x100m medley relay at the 1960 Rome Olympics...
to begin their own aquatic equipment firm. In the 1980s, he became an Olympic administrator, serving on the Australian Olympic Committee
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...
executive. He was involved in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
's winning bid for the 2000 Summer Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
and was the Australian team manager for the 2006 Commonwealth Games
2006 Commonwealth Games
The 2006 Commonwealth Games were held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia between 15 March and 26 March 2006. It was the largest sporting event to be staged in Melbourne, eclipsing the 1956 Summer Olympics in terms of the number of teams competing, athletes competing, and events being held.The site...
.