Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Full name | John Thomas Devitt | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
National team | Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Granville, New South Wales, Australia | 4 February 1937|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Died | 17 August 2023 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | (aged 86)|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 85 kg (187 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sport | Swimming | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Strokes | Freestyle | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Club | Manly Swimming Club | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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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.