Graham Smith (Canadian swimmer)

For the Scottish swimmer, born 1976, see Graeme Smith (swimmer). For the Bermuda swimmer, born 1982, see Graham Smith (Bermudian swimmer).
Graham Smith
Personal information
Full nameDonald Graham Smith
National teamCanada
Born (1958-05-09) May 9, 1958 (age 66)
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesBreaststroke, medley
ClubCalgary Dinos, Calgary (CAN)
College teamUniversity of California, Berkeley
CoachNort Thornton
Medal record
Men's swimming
Representing  Canada
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 1976 Montreal 4x100 m medley
World Championships (LC)
Gold medal – first place 1978 Berlin 200 m medley
Silver medal – second place 1978 Berlin 100 m breaststroke
Pan American Games
Silver medal – second place 1979 San Juan 200 m medley
Silver medal – second place 1979 San Juan 4x100 m medley
Bronze medal – third place 1979 San Juan 100 m breaststroke
Commonwealth Games
Gold medal – first place 1978 Edmonton 100 m breaststroke
Gold medal – first place 1978 Edmonton 200 m breaststroke
Gold medal – first place 1978 Edmonton 200 m medley
Gold medal – first place 1978 Edmonton 400 m medley
Gold medal – first place 1978 Edmonton 4x100 m medley
Gold medal – first place 1978 Edmonton 4x100 m freestyle
Summer Universiade
Gold medal – first place 1977 Sofia 100 m breaststroke
Gold medal – first place 1977 Sofia 200 m breaststroke

Donald Graham Smith (born May 9, 1958) is a Canadian former competition swimmer who swam for the University of California Berkeley, and won a silver medal in the men's 4x100-metre medley relay at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Quebec. He did so alongside teammates Stephen Pickell, Clay Evans and Gary MacDonald. His brother George and sister Becky also competed in swimming.

Smith attended the University of California Berkeley where he swam under Hall of Fame Coach Nort Thornton. During his time at Berkeley, he won an NCAA national swimming championship.[1][2]

At the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, Alberta, he became the first competitor to win six gold medals at a single Commonwealth Games; he won the 100- and 200-metre breaststroke, 200- and 400-metre individual medleys, and was part of the winning 4x100-metre freestyle and 4x100-metre medley relay teams. Smith twice broke the world record in the men's 200-metre individual medley (long course).

Taking off a year from college to train for the 1980 Summer Olympics, he lost his chance to participate when the games were boycotted by Canada. Though he had been considered Canada's greatest swimmer, in 1982 he formally left competitive swimming, and served as a coach for several years before earning an MBA from St. Mary’s College of California. In 2013 he owned a Canadian consulting firm in British Columbia.[2]

Smith was inducted into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame and Museum in 1978.[3]

  1. ^ "Nort Thornton (USA): 1995 Honor Coach". International Swimming Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on February 4, 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Olympedia Olympic Bio, Graham Smith". olympedia.com. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
  3. ^ "Graham Smith, 1978". Alberta Sports Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on February 3, 2022. Retrieved February 3, 2022.