John Konrads
Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Birth name | Jānis Konrads | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Full name | John Konrads | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
National team | Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Riga, Ostland (present day Latvia) | 21 May 1942||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Died | 25 April 2021 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | (aged 78)||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 84 kg (185 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sport | Swimming | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Strokes | Freestyle | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
|
bob Konrads (Latvian: Jānis Konrads; 21 May 1942 – 25 April 2021) was an 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 for the Sydney Olympics bid. Along with his sister Ilsa, who also set multiple world records, they were known as the Konrads Kids.
Early life
Konrads was born Jānis Konrads in Riga, Latvia,[1] on 21 May 1942.[2] He emigrated with his parents Jānis and Elza, grandmother, elder sister Eve and younger sister Ilsa in August 1944, initially staying in Germany.[3] This came after occupation of Latvia by German troops during the Second World War and then reoccupation by Soviet troops. Living in Germany until 1949, their application to immigrate to the United States was refused on account of the large size of the family. Instead, Australia accepted them. They were first located at Greta migrants' camp near Maitland, New South Wales, and then they were relocated to a camp at Uranquinty, in mid-western New South Wales, at what had been a base for the Royal Australian Air Force.[3] There his father Jānis taught the children to swim, fearing that they could drown in the many watering holes and dams in the camp. After spending four weeks in hospital due to a case of polio, Konrads swam therapeutically to rebuild strength.[4]
His father Jānis secured a job in Sydney as a dentist, and the family settled first in
Every day, John and his younger sister Ilsa cycled to the Bankstown pool before sunrise, for a two-hour training session, before returning home for breakfast and then attending school. After school, they would cycle back to the pool and repeat the training regimen.[6] The results of his training began to materialise in 1958, when he started to win his first national titles and break his first world records. In Sydney in January, in the space of eight days,[7] he broke six world records: 200 m, 220 yd, 400 m, 440 yd, 800 m and 800 yd. He set another eight in February and March, including a 1500 m and 1650 yd world record, and proceeded to win the 220 yd, 440 yd and 1650 yd freestyle at the Australian Championships.[8] At the 1958 Empire Games in Cardiff, he won the 440 yd and 1650 yd and then combined with John Devitt, Gary Chapman and Brian Wilkinson to claim the 4 × 220 yd freestyle.[6][9] One year later, he broke six world records in the same six events as he did in January the previous year, and was the first person to sweep the freestyle events from 110 yd to 1650 yd at the Australian Championships, winning the Helms Award.[4] He decided in conjunction with Talbot to concentrate on the 400 m and 1500 m events for the Olympics, and in 1960, at the Australian championships, set world records in the 400 m, 440 yd, 1500 m and 1650 yd events. He also won the 220 yd event in world record time, but it was not an Olympic event at the time.[9][10]
Rome Olympics
At the Olympics in Rome, fellow Australian and defending 400 m and 1500 m champion
Later life
After the games, Konrads accepted a swimming scholarship at the University of Southern California, where his performances decreased over time. Upon returning to Australia to qualify for the 1964 Summer Olympics, he managed only qualification for the 4 × 200 m freestyle relay team.[4] He only swam in the heats, and watched from the stands as another Australian, Bob Windle, claimed his 1500 m title. After retirement, Konrads became a swimming coach, and with his marketing degree from USC,[14] he eventually rose to the Australasian directorship of L'Oréal.[1] He later established a consultancy and advertising firm.[14]
Konrads publicly revealed his struggles with bipolar disorder, and sought to raise public awareness with features on Australian television.[14][15]
In 1984, Konrads had one of his gold medals (1500-metre freestyle – 1960 Rome Olympics) stolen from his Melbourne home. It was found 25 years later after a woman tried to sell it to an American sports enthusiast.
Konrads died on 25 April 2021 at the age of 78.[1]
Honours
Konrads was inducted into the
See also
- List of members of the International Swimming Hall of Fame
- List of Commonwealth Games medallists in swimming (men)
- List of Olympic medalists in swimming (men)
- World record progression 200 metres freestyle
- World record progression 400 metres freestyle
- World record progression 800 metres freestyle
- World record progression 1500 metres freestyle
- World record progression 4 × 100 metres freestyle relay
- World record progression 4 × 200 metres freestyle relay
Notes
- ^ a b c "John Konrads: star of Australia's golden age of swimming dies at 78". The Guardian. London. Australian Associated Press. 26 April 2021. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
- ^ a b "John Konrads". Lausanne: International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
- ^ a b c Konrads, Ilsa (15 August 2004). "Guiding light at the poolside: Elza Konrads: Modest matriarch of swim stars' family (1904–2004)". The Sydney Morning Herald.
- ^ a b c d e "Olympic swimming medals of John Konrads". Canberra: National Museum of Australia. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
- ^ "Easy 440 yd. Victory For John Konrads". The Canberra Times. 24 January 1958. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
- ^ a b Howe, Alan (26 April 2021). "John Konrads broke 26 individual world records in the pool". The Australian. Surry Hills, New South Wales. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
- ^ Murphy, Damien (1 November 2008). "Olympics hero says goodbye to gold". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
- ^ "John & Ilsa Konrads (AUS)". Fort Lauderdale, Florida: International Swimming Hall of Fame. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
- ^ a b Hanson, Ian (26 April 2021). "Olympic Golden Boy John Konrads Remembered as "Mr Unbeatable" As Australian Swimming Loses A 1500m Freestyle Great". Swimming World. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
- ^ Welch, Bruce (22 February 2021). "From the Archives, 1960: World records crash in thrilling swim titles". The Age. Melbourne. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
- ^ "From the Archives: Brilliant swim by Konrads wins fifth gold medal". The Sydney Morning Herald. 4 September 2020. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
- ^ Gordon, Harry. "John Konrads". Sydney: Australian Olympic Committee. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
- ^ Wilson, Chris (19 April 2012). "Dickson farewells 'fast friend' Rose". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
- ^ a b c Cockington, James (8 October 2008). "Profile: John Konrads". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
- ^ "7.30 Report – 05/01/2006: Rogers death highlights depression stigma". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 18 May 2023.
- ^ a b John Konrads' stolen medals returned after 24 years – Nicole Jeffery, The Australian, 23 September 2009, Retrieved 12 December 2009.
- ^ Stolen Olympic medals found in shoe box Mex Cooper, The Age, 22 September 2009, 12 December 2009
- ^ Charles Leski Auctions – The John Konrads Collection Archived 16 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "John Konrads". Sport Australia Hall of Fame. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
- ^ "Konrads, John: Australian Sports Medal". It's an Honour. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
References
- Andrews, Malcolm (2000). Australia at the Olympic Games. Sydney, New South Wales: ISBN 0-7333-0884-8.
- Howell, Max (1986). Aussie Gold. Albion, Queensland: ISBN 0-86440-680-0.