the rebellious swimmer

Ever since he first dived into a pool, good morning fraser (4/9/1937) knew that he had swam against the tide all his life. From Balmaina suburb of sydney complicated, he was the youngest of eight siblings in a working family. In his adolescence he had an asthma attack and the doctor recommended that he take up swimming like his older brother Don.

“Yes, I’ll do it”

When he was 12 years old, an officer from the NSW Swimming Office told him “You must never swim in Australia because you’re from Balmain”. Fraserwas not interrupted and answered: “Yes, I will do it.”

There begins his rebellion against the bureaucracy and against all those who question his actions.

But what is the score good morning fraser his whole life was death from leukemia of Don. At the age of 13, he saw how his beloved brother’s life had disappeared, mirroring his own. He told her, in the last moments of his life: “Nothing for me.” That was the first hit.

A free trainer

When Harry Gallagher He saw her swim at the age of 14, he was fascinated. In just one session he had enough and when the training was over he went straight to the house of Fraser to talk to parents dawn. Upon reaching the neighborhood Balmain and crossing the portal of the house, a depressing panorama was seen: the family could not pay the club fee, or the train ticket to go to the pool, let alone a coach. dawn He suggested that he go to the pool with his brother’s bicycle. Gallagher reacted quickly: he would do it for free. Such was the conviction that he was dealing with a unique sporting talent that his good eye was not mistaken. Five years later, at the age of 19, dawn he hung two gold medals and one silver on Melbourne Olympics.

It’s pulverizing records. Naa Rome Olympics 1960’s, Fraser he again showed his dominance by winning gold for the second time in the 100 meters with 1:01:2, a new Olympic record. She became the first woman in history to win that test in two consecutive Games. In the Italian capital he also won silver in the 4×100 medley and the 4×100 free. At the Commonwealth Games held a month later, he lowered this mark again in Perth with 59.5. Fraser he was in the prime of his career. On February 29, 1964 in Sydney he set his final record with 58.9, an incredible mark that remained unbeaten until 1972.

Another blow to overcome

On March 8, seven months before the start of Tokyo’64 Olympic Games, dawn he was driving a car with his mother, sister and a friend. They and their mother had an accident Rose died on the spot. The blow is more moral than physical. He suffered major neck and back injuries and had to wear a neck brace for nine weeks, which prevented him from training normally. The pain of losing his mother and the injuries the accident caused him seriously considered withdrawing from the Japanese Olympic event. With the support of his family and his coach, he changed his mind. And after making a quick and surprising recovery, he traveled to tokyo and make history again.

Trouble out of the water

In tokyo’64 met with Sharon Steuderwho at the age of 15 already had two Pan American gold medals in his possession and was outlined in the former as a serious threat. Fraser he prevailed in the final with a time of 59.5, clinching the third gold of his Olympic career.

But the problems outside the pool began before the opening of the Games. Australian delegation leaders have informed the entire team that the athletes competing on the first day of the Games will not go to the opening ceremony to rest. FraserShowing his rebellious spirit, he escaped from the Olympic Village, boarded the Australian athletes’ bus and paraded with other teammates. She took a beating but as she was the only female Australian asset in the competition she was forgiven. Another scandal that punctuated her presence at Tokyo’64 was her choice of swimsuit. He did not want to wear the official swimsuit of the Australian delegation. He wore one from a rival manufacturer because it seemed more comfortable.

Despite all the controversy and trouble he caused with the Australian leaders, he was chosen to carry the Australian flag at the closing ceremony. Twelve hours before and after closing their participation in Games, came out to celebrate their medals with several members of the men’s field hockey team, which won a bronze. In the midst of the revelry, they passed in front of the Imperial Palace of Japan. Some players dropped some flags. They heard whistles and started running. When jumping over the wall dawn he hurt his ankle so the police caught him sitting with a flag hidden inside his clothes. He was taken to the police station but later returned to the hotel and the next morning, he was given a bouquet of flowers and a box with an Olympic flag, a gift from Emperor.

a harsh punishment

But, for the highest dignitary of the Australian delegation, it was the straw that broke the camel’s back. The continued violation of the rules led his country’s federation to punish him with a severe correction: 10 years of disqualification. At age 27, he considered his career over, though the suspension was lifted in 1968, a few months before the Games in Mexico. He did not have time to prepare for the new Olympic date and decided to retire.