Forbes Carlile facts for kids
Forbes Carlile
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 3 June 1921 Armadale, Victoria, Australia |
| Died | 2 August 2016 (aged 95) Sydney, Australia |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Modern pentathlon, Swimming (coaching) |
Forbes Carlile MBE (born June 3, 1921 – died August 2, 2016) was a very important person in Australian sports. He was Australia's first swimming coach for the Olympic Games after World War II. He also became the first Australian to compete in the modern pentathlon at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki. This makes him special because he is the only person ever to coach at the Olympics and then compete in them himself!
Forbes Carlile is best known for changing how swimming was coached. With his wife, Ursula, and their helper, Tom Green, he trained many amazing Olympic swimmers. Some of these champions include Shane Gould, Karen Moras, Gail Neall, and John Davies. In 1972, Shane Gould, who was only 15, held several world records at the same time. She was the fastest in the 100, 200, 400, 800, and 1500 metres freestyle races. She also held the record for the 200m individual medley.
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Coaching Career and Olympic Roles
Carlile started trying out his ideas about how the body works in 1944. He began coaching officially in 1946 at the Palm Beach rock pool in Sydney. His success there led to him becoming the Australian swimming coach for the 1948 Summer Olympics in London.
He was the head Australian coach again at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne. For the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, he was a Scientific Advisor. At the 1964 Summer Olympics, he was the head coach for the Dutch Olympic team. He also led the Australian swimming team at the World Championships in 1973.
New Training Methods
Carlile studied at The Scots College in Sydney and the University of Sydney. He earned a Masters of Science degree and later taught about human physiology there. He was a pioneer in training elite athletes.
He developed many new training methods that are still used today. These included:
- Interval workouts: Swimming short distances very fast, then resting, and repeating.
- Pace clocks: Special clocks to help swimmers keep track of their speed.
- Log books: Keeping detailed records of training sessions.
- Heart rate tests: Checking how fast a swimmer's heart beats during exercise.
- Training under stress: Practicing in tough conditions.
He also created special swimming techniques. These included swimming at an even speed for long races. He also taught the use of two-beat kicks for long-distance events.
Books and Awards
Forbes Carlile wrote an important book called Forbes Carlile on Swimming in 1963. This was one of the first modern books about competitive swimming. It talked about tapering, which means reducing training before a big race. It also looked at how the crawl swimming style developed over time.
He wrote other books too, like A History of Crawl Stroke Techniques to the 1960s: An Australian Perspective. Another book was A History of Australian Swimming Training.
In 1977, Carlile was given an MBE award. He was also welcomed into the International Swimming Hall of Fame. Other awards he received include the Queens Jubilee Medal in 1977. He was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1989.
Carlile's swimming school still operates today in Sydney. It helps young swimmers learn and improve their skills.
Later Life
Forbes Carlile passed away on August 2, 2016, in a Sydney hospital. He was 95 years old. He was survived by his wife, Ursula.
See also
- List of members of the International Swimming Hall of Fame
- Australian Olympic medalists in swimming
