tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34871185.post8614299038977666496..comments2024-03-14T19:51:35.853+11:00Comments on Swimming: Australian Olympic swimmers Part Three: Towards Melbourne: London and HelsinkiSallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06459567597804197579noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34871185.post-51677788750069605612020-03-28T14:59:19.177+11:002020-03-28T14:59:19.177+11:00John Davies sadly passed away Tuesday 24th March. ...John Davies sadly passed away Tuesday 24th March. A great Olympian!<br /><br />John Davies was an exceptional breaststroker, swimming a butterfly stroke (as was allowed up to the 1956 Olympics), missing a medal in 1948 and won numerous titles in the US where he studied after the 1948 Olympics. He was in the team for 1952 based on the times set in the US. He was coached by Forbes Carlile and Professor Frank Cotton, both of Sydney University. These two were the beginning of a more scientific method for swimming, introducing things like warming up, shaving down and tapering. Radical stuff back then.<br /><br />Anyway, before the beginning of the heats of the breaststroke in Helsinki, John was to sleep and rest, no swimming, for 20 hours a day over three days. He went on the win the heat, semi and final. Scientific swimming - the beginning!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com