Legend still out to show the way
BETWEEN 1966 and 1974 Australian swimming great Michael Wenden won nine Commonwealth Games gold medals. But four stand out from the rest.
Wenden didn’t think he would even try out for the 1970 Edinburgh Games, let alone take out the 100m-200m freestyle double.
“I wasn’t sure if I’d be fit enough to make the team,” said Wenden, now 68 and living at Upper Duroby in the Tweed hinterland.
“I’d taken off all of 1969. I hadn’t been in the water at all.”
Wenden had walked away from the sport after becoming disillusioned by his treatment at the hands of Swimming Australia after winning the 100m-200m freestyle double at the 1968 Mexico Olympics.
“After the Olympics I had offers to swim events in France, Russia and the UK,” Wenden said.
“I had just turned 20 years old. It was the sort of opportunity a kid from Sydney’s western suburbs could only dream of.
“I went to Swimming Australia to ask for permission. The newly appointed CEO said to me, ‘swimming has been very good to you, Michael. It’s time you paid us back’.
“They told me I could only go to the meet in France and I had to be back in time for the NSW championships.”
Wenden swam in France and had the time of his life.
The frustration of missing out on the other meets and the chance to see the world, feted as dual-Olympic champion, hardened his feelings towards Swimming Australia and, after competing only in the 100m at the NSW championships, he turned his back on the sport.
It was only a chance encounter with Australia’s 1960 Olympic 1500m freestyle champion John Konrads that saw him attempt to make the team for Edinburgh.
“It was New Year’s Day 1970. John was living in France but he had come back to Sydney to make a documentary showing people in Europe what a great place Australia was,” Wenden said.
“He asked me to swim a couple of laps of a school pool as part of the film.
“When I got out I thought, ‘that wasn’t too bad. I feel OK’. The selection trials were the last weekend of February. That only gave me six weeks but I thought, ‘why not?’ I decided to give it a go.”
Wenden won the 200m event “in what must have been the slowest time ever”.
By the time the Games came around he was back in top shape. He won gold in the 100m freestyle, 200m freestyle, 4x100m freestyle relay and 4x200m freestyle relay, and silver in the 4x100, medley relay.
Captain of the swimming team, his memories of Edinburgh are of excellent facilities, good competition and, above all, the warmth of the people.
“Everything just clicked. I remember being in the marshalling area before the opening and closing ceremonies and talking to all the other athletes, and everyone being so friendly,” he said.
And, 52 years after his first Games experience, in which he won three gold in Jamaica, Wenden is part of it again.
“I’m baton bearer number 015, two days before the start, at Hope Island,” he said.
“I can’t wait.”