Legendary Australian swim coach Don Talbot dies at 87
Legendary Australian coach Don Talbot has died, triggering a flood of tributes from around the swimming world to the man who rebuilt the Dolphins into a global force.
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Tributes are flooding in from around the swimming world after the death of legendary Australian coach Don Talbot, who passed away on Tuesday aged 87.
Inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame, Talbot ranks as one of the world’s greatest coaches, having overseen the development of scores of champions dating back to the 1950s and 1960s when he made his name by guiding John and Ilsa Konrads to world records and international medals.
Appointed head coach for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, Talbot led Kevin Berry, Ian O’Brien, Bob Windle, Beverley Whitfield and Gail Neall to Olympic gold medals before taking on the job of Canadian national team head coach.
He was reappointed head coach of the Australian team in 1989 and remained in the role for 12 years, rebuilding the Dolphins into a global force after a lean run during the 1980s.
Under his guidance, Australia’s swimmers won 18 medals at the Sydney 2000 Olympics and finished top of the medal count at the 2001 world championships in Fukuoka, Japan.
Talbot also coached in the United States and Britain and was appointed as the inaugural director of the Australian Institute of Sport.
Swimming Canada posted a tribute on Twitter, saying: “We are sorry to hear about the passing of Don Talbot. We send our thoughts to his family and friends.”
The influential U.S.-based Swimming World website described Talbot as a “giant in coaching.”