Melbourne, Australia – Former Australian swimmer John Conards, who set 26 world records and won the title of 1500 freestyle Olympic champion at the 1960 Rome Olympics, died on Monday (26) at the age of 78, Australian Swimming Federation informed.
The organization’s president, Kieren Perkins, a two-time Olympic champion in the 1500 meters, described Konrads as “an inspirational personality”.
Released after announcement
John’s story is quite amazing. It is a story of resilience and perseverance. In the 50s and 60s, he dominated Australian swimming and made sensational achievements in freestyle and long distance.
At the age of 14, Konrads was reserved for the Australian Olympic Swimming Team at the 1996 Melbourne Olympic Games, and four years later, in Rome, he won one gold medal and two bronze medals.
Born in Riga, Latvia on May 21, 1942, after living in Germany in 1949, Konrad left young people in Australia.
Along with her father, Ilsa, Konrad began swimming under the influence of her father to recover from childhood illness, polio.
After leaving the competition, he remained involved in the Olympic movement, which contributed significantly to the success of the Australian bid for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.
