John Konrads facts for kids
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Birth name | Jānis Konrads | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 21 May 1942 Riga, Ostland (present day Latvia) |
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| Died | 25 April 2021 (aged 78) Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
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| Height | 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 84 kg (185 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Swimming | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Strokes | Freestyle | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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John Konrads was an amazing Australian freestyle swimmer. He was born Jānis Konrads in Latvia on May 21, 1942. He became famous in the 1950s and 1960s. John won a gold medal at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome for the 1500 metre freestyle race.
During his swimming career, he broke 26 individual world records! After he stopped swimming, he worked as a director for a big company called L'Oréal in Australia and New Zealand. He also helped with the bid for the Sydney Olympics. John and his younger sister, Ilsa, were both incredible swimmers who set many world records. People often called them the Konrads Kids.
Contents
John's Early Life and Journey
John Konrads was born in Riga, Latvia, in 1942. In August 1944, his family had to leave their home. This was because of World War II. They first went to Germany. Then, in 1949, they moved to Australia as refugees.
When they arrived in Australia, they lived in special camps for migrants. One camp was in Uranquinty, New South Wales. At this camp, John's father taught the children to swim. He was worried they might drown in the many water holes nearby. John also swam to get stronger after he had polio, a serious illness.
His father later got a job as a dentist in Sydney. The family then settled in Bankstown. John and his sisters went to Revesby Primary School. There, one of their teachers was Don Talbot. Don Talbot was also a swimming coach.
John joined the Bankstown Swimming Pool club. In 1956, he won his first national junior title. This led to him being chosen for the Australian team for the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne. He was a reserve, so he did not get to compete.
Becoming a World Champion Swimmer
Every day, John and his sister Ilsa would ride their bikes to the pool. They went before sunrise for a two-hour training session. After school, they would go back to the pool for more training. This hard work started to pay off in 1958.
In January 1958, John broke six world records in just eight days! These records were for different freestyle distances. He broke another eight records in February and March. This included new world records for the 1500 m and 1650 yd races.
At the 1958 Empire Games in Cardiff, John won two gold medals. He won the 440 yd and 1650 yd freestyle events. He also helped his team win gold in the 4 × 220 yd freestyle relay.
In 1959, he broke six more world records. He also became the first swimmer to win all freestyle events from 110 yd to 1650 yd at the Australian Championships. Before the 1960 Olympics, he set more world records in the 400 m, 440 yd, 1500 m, and 1650 yd events.
Olympic Games in Rome
At the 1960 Rome Olympics, John competed against his Australian teammate Murray Rose. Murray was the defending champion in the 400 m and 1500 m races.
In the 400 m freestyle final, John was in the lead for the first half. But Murray Rose swam very fast and won the gold medal. John finished third, earning a bronze medal.
For the 1500 m freestyle final, John stuck to his plan. He swam a strong race and won the gold medal! He set a new Olympic record time of 17 minutes and 19.6 seconds. Murray Rose came in second.
John also won a bronze medal in the 4 × 200 m freestyle relay. He teamed up with John Devitt, Murray Rose, and David Dickson. They finished behind the United States and Japan.
Life After Swimming
After the Olympics, John went to the University of Southern California on a swimming scholarship. His swimming results were not as strong there.
He returned to Australia to try for the 1964 Summer Olympics. He only qualified for the 4 × 200 m freestyle relay team. He swam in the early races but did not compete in the final. Another Australian, Bob Windle, won the 1500 m title that year.
After retiring from swimming, John became a coach. He also used his marketing degree to work for L'Oréal. He eventually became the director for Australia and New Zealand. Later, he started his own business.
John also spoke openly about his health challenges to help others.
In 1984, John's 1960 Olympic gold medal (for the 1500 m freestyle) was stolen from his home. It was found 25 years later! A woman bought it at a sale and tried to sell it to a sports fan. The medal was returned to John. It is now on display at the National Sports Museum in Melbourne. In 2011, John decided to sell his collection of swimming items, including his medals. The National Museum of Australia bought them.
John Konrads passed away on April 25, 2021, at the age of 78.
Honours and Recognition
John Konrads received many awards for his amazing swimming career:
- In 1985, he was added to the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.
- In 2000, he received an Australian Sports Medal.
See also
- List of members of the International Swimming Hall of Fame
- List of Olympic medalists in swimming (men)
- World record progression 1500 metres freestyle
