Dawn of a new era: ISL to honour swimming’s original rebel, Dawn Fraser
The billionaire businessman running swimming’s rebel professional league wants to honour Dawn Fraser at the final in Las Vegas because “I just love the way she was so disruptive”.
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The billionaire businessman behind the rebel professional swim league that’s turning the sport upside down wants Aussie legend Dawn Fraser to be a guest of honour at next month’s grand final in Las Vegas.
The Daily Telegraph can reveal that the Ukrainian energy tycoon that is bankrolling the International Swimming League wants to crown the first season of his breakaway competition by paying homage to swimming’s original rebel with a cause.
In an exclusive interview, Konstantin Grigorishin said he admired Fraser’s pioneering campaigns to give swimmers get a better deal even though she paid a hefty price for her run-ins with officials.
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“Dawn Fraser is a legend and I am going to invite her. I really hope she can come because it would be fantastic,” Grigorishin said.
“I know her story and that’s why I would like to invite her. I just love the way she was so disruptive.”
Grigorishin, who is offering swimmers the chance to finally make a living from the sport after taking on the sport’s ruling body FINA, sees a kindred spirit in Fraser.
Now 82, the four-time Olympic gold medallist never earned a cent when she was competing because the sport was strictly amateur so she had to work three jobs to fund her training.
When she was just 12 years old, Swimming Australia handed Fraser a two year suspension after she was given a clock for winning a race, which was deemed to be a breach of the rules.
She was later banned for a decade for ruffling the feathers of the blazers that run the sport with an iron fist but Grigorishin said modern day swimmers hadn’t forgotten the trail she blazed for them.
“I like people with life in them, she was not a robot swimmer,” Grigorishin said.
“First of all, she was a fantastic swimmer, I don’t remember how many years she kept the world record in 100m free but it was a very long time (1956-1972).
“But at the same time, she has been a great personality which I respect very much because in sport we need personalities, not just results, especially in swimming.”
Up to 16 Australian swimmers will be making the trip to Las Vegas after their teams qualified for the Dec 20-21 final in the gambling capital of the world.
Australian swimmer of the year Ariarne Titmus is one of three Dolphins on the US-based Cali Condors franchise while former world champion Emily Seebohm is on the Energy Standard team, which won the European conference ahead of the London Roar.
The British team has by far the highest Australian representation with 12 on their books, including Kyle Chalmers, Cate and Bronte Campbell, Emma McKeon and young gun Minna Atherton.
“I never thought we would be swimming in Vegas so that’s pretty cool,” McKeon said.
“It’ll be pretty special going into the grand final but I’ll go home first and talk to my coach and we’ll prepare in a way that’s best for the team and best for me as well because obviously the big thing is the Olympics next year.
“Everyone on the team has bonded really well so it’s been a lot of fun but I think it’s also been great to some extra racing because in Australia we don’t really get the chance to step up and race that often because it’s always focussed on times so focussing on racing and getting your hands on the wall first or getting as many points for your team as possible has helped me a lot.”