‘Terribly sad’: Tributes flow for Aussie swimming legend John Konrads

The sporting world is mourning the loss of Australian swimming legend John Konrads, who passed away at the age of 78 on Sunday. Konrads, who was born in Latvia and emigrated to Australia via Germany when he was just seven, was regarded as one of the country’s greatest swimmers.

Konrads’ relatively brief career saw him shoot to stardom in the late 1950s and early ’60s, when he set 26 individual freestyle world records between the 200m and 1500m events. He also won gold for Australia in the 1500m freestyle at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, where he also brought home two bronze medals.

Since the sad news broke yesterday, tributes have been flowing in for the swimming icon. Kieren Perkins, also a 1500m freestyle Olympic gold medallist and now the president of Swimming Australia, was one of the first to pay his respects, saying Konrads was a great role model and mentor to him.

“Firstly, on behalf of Swimming Australia, I’d like to send my condolences to John’s family, friends and loved ones — it’s a terribly sad time,” he said in a statement shared on Swimming Australia’s website on Sunday. “John’s story is quite amazing, it’s one of resilience and perseverance. To arrive in Australia as a young boy from Latvia who couldn’t swim, to then attend an Olympic Games … only a few years later is remarkable.

“The 1500m race obviously holds a very special place in my heart and I was lucky to have role models and mentors like John shine a light on this event for Australia. His feats helped cement it as an iconic event for our country at every Olympics.”

Meanwhile, John Coates, president of the Australian Olympic Committee, said in a statement via the organisation’s website that Konrads’ story was simply extraordinary. “John and [sister] Ilsa came here as migrant kids from Latvia with John particularly using the swimming pool to overcome the debilitating impacts of polio,” he wrote. “Spotted and trained by the great Don Talbot, who we lost only six months ago [at the age of 87], the pair blossomed into sporting prodigies.

“It’s extraordinary to think he smashed those world records aged only 15 but, like so many Olympians, he grew into a champion away from sport. Once an Olympian, always an Olympian. That was John Konrads. My sincere condolences to John’s wife Mikki, sister Ilsa and the entire Konrads family.”

John Bertrand, chairman of Sport Australia Hall of Fame Awards, wrote, “As a swimming sensation in the 1950s and ’60s, John Konrads dominated the world swimming scene, breaking every freestyle world record between 200m – 1500m by the time he was 15.

“His career tally of 26 individual world records is an incredible record. He was a proud Sport Australia Hall of Fame member with an extravagant sense of humour, who will leave a lasting legacy around the world.

“Our condolences are with his sister Ilsa, the Konrads family and the many lives John touched within the swimming and broader communities.”