Led ‘ golden swimming era’ of Australia
BRISBANE, Australia — Firm but fair, old- school yet ahead of his time, Don Talbot leaves a lasting legacy as one of Australia’s greatest coaches.
Mr. Talbot, the foundation director of the Australian Institute of Sport in the 1980s and a former head coach of the Australian and the Canadian Olympic swim teams, died on the Gold Coast in Queensland state, Swimming Australia said Wednesday. He was 87.
“Don Talbot was at the helm of Australia’s golden swimming era,” Sports Australia Hall of Fame chairman John Bertrand, a former Swimming Australia president, said in a statement. “A coaching magician who returned the Australian national squad to its best results. He changed the way people thought about high performance.
Scott Talbot, who swam for New Zealand at the Olympics and is now coaching in England, said his father would be remembered as a trailblazing coach driven by his passion for Australia and for swimming.
“Don was tough till the end and fought on strongly for a long time, finally succumbing to the complications with dementia, passing away peacefully on Tuesday,” Scott Talbot said.
Brooke Hanson, who won gold and silver medals at the 2004 Olympics and was a member of Australia’s swim team for 13 years, remembered Mr. Talbot for being a positive influence and “making hundreds of champions.”
“You ruled with an iron fist, it was your way or the highway, your rules were unbending, but it made us all hungry and more disciplined to reach our potential,” Hanson posted in a tribute on Instagram. “Your tough, uncompromising ways empowered me to find the edge.”
Mr. Talbot started his coaching career in the 1950s and worked early with John Konrads, reportedly paying his own way to the 1960 Olympics in Rome to watch his star swimmer and multiple world record- holder win gold in the 1,500- meter freestyle.
He was on the coaching staff of Australian Olympic teams from 1964- 72 and had stints in Canada and the United States.