John Devitt

John Devitt
AM
John Devitt and Kaye Nottle in 1956
Personal information
Full nameJohn Thomas Devitt
National team Australia
Born(1937-02-04)4 February 1937
Granville, New South Wales, Australia
Died17 August 2023(2023-08-17) (aged 86)
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Height1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight85 kg (187 lb)
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesFreestyle
ClubManly Swimming Club
Medal record
Men's swimming
Representing  Australia
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1956 Melbourne 4×200 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 1960 Rome 100 m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 1956 Melbourne 100 m freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 1960 Rome 4×200 m freestyle
British Empire and Commonwealth Games
Gold medal – first place 1958 Cardiff 100 m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 1958 Cardiff 4×100 m medley relay
Gold medal – first place 1958 Cardiff 4×200 m freestyle relay
Devitt at the 1960 Olympics

John Thomas Devitt, AM[1] (4 February 1937 – 17 August 2023) was an Australian sprint freestyle swimmer of the 1950s and 1960s, who won a gold medal in the 100-metre freestyle at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. He won in controversial circumstances, being awarded the gold medal despite the timekeepers recording a slower time than the American silver medallist Lance Larson. He also claimed a gold medal at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, in the 4×200-metre freestyle relay.

  1. ^ "Devitt, John Thomas, AM". It's an Honour. Retrieved 14 September 2013.