Arthur Cusack (born 1919,

Maryborough, Queensland Maryborough ( ) is a city and a suburb in the Fraser Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. At the 2021 Census, Maryborough had a population of 15,287. Geography Maryborough is located on the Mary River in Queensland, Australia, approximate ...

; died 2000,

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

) was an Australian Olympic swimming coach in the 1950s and 1960s.

Early career

In 1938, at 18 years old, Cusack became the Secretary of the newly formed Maryborough Amateur Swimming Club. He, along with Des Ramsay, became a Coach at the club at the end of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

David Theile David Egmont Theile, AO (born 17 January 1938) is an Australian former backstroke swimmer of the 1950s and 1960s, who won consecutive gold medals in the 100-metre backstroke at the 1956 and 1960 Summer Olympics, the only Australian to do so. H ...

was initially coached by Ramsay, but soon switched to Cusack, even though Cusack was thought to be a difficult coach by many swimmers, as he would require long, tiring sessions in the pool. In 1958, Cusack left Maryborough. In 1962, Cusack was appointed as a coach on the Australian

1962 Commonwealth Games The 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games were held in Perth, Australia, from 22 November to 1 December 1962. Athletic events were held at Perry Lakes Stadium in the suburb of Floreat and swimming events at Beatty Park in North Perth. The ...

team in Perth. In the mid-60s, Cusack took over the lease of the Centenary Pool in Brisbane. It was from here that he would take on the coaching of his nephew

Robert Cusack Robert Stephen Cusack (born 10 December 1950) is an Australian former butterfly and freestyle swimmer of the 1960s and 1970s, who won a bronze medal in the 4x100-metre freestyle relay at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. Born in Marybo ...

into the Australian Olympic Team. In 1970, Cusack was again named as a coach on the Australian Commonwealth Games team for the Edinburgh Games, this time as coach of the Women's team.

Coaching highlights

Arthur Cusack was the coach of Olympic Gold medal winner

, who won gold in the 100m

backstroke Backstroke or back crawl is one of the four Swimming (sport), swimming styles used in competitive events regulated by FINA, and the only one of these styles swum on the back. This swimming style has the advantage of easy breathing, but the disa ...

in the

1956 Melbourne Olympics The 1956 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, from 22 November to 8 December 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, whi ...

and the

1960 Rome Olympics The 1960 Summer Olympics ( it, Giochi Olimpici estivi del 1960), officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad ( it, Giochi della XVII Olimpiade) and commonly known as Rome 1960 ( it, Roma 1960), were an international multi-sport event held ...

. He won the silver in the 4 × 100 m Medley Relay team at the same games in Rome. Arthur Cusack coached his nephew

,Condon, Matt (26 February 2004), "Life as a fifty meter sprint: Robert Cusack", ''Courier Mail Newspaper'', Brisbane who won a bronze medal along with

Michael Wenden Michael Vincent Wenden, (born 17 November 1949) is a champion swimmer who represented Australia in the 1968 Summer Olympics and 1972 Summer Olympics. In 1968 he won four medals: gold in both the 100- and 200-metre freestyle (setting world reco ...

Bob Windle Robert George Windle (born 7 November 1944) is an Australian freestyle swimmer of the 1960s, who won four Olympic medals, including an individual gold medal. Windle won the 1500 m freestyle and took bronze in the 4 × 100 m ...

and

Greg Rogers Gregory Francis Rogers (born 14 August 1948) is an Australian former sprint freestyle swimmer of the 1960s and 1970s, who won a silver and bronze medal in the 4×200-metre and 4×100-metre freestyle relays, respectively, at the 1968 Summer Ol ...

in the 4 × 100 m freestyle relay at the

1968 Mexico City Olympics The 1968 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1968), officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad ( es, Juegos de la XIX Olimpiada) and commonly known as Mexico 1968 ( es, México 1968), were an international multi-sport eve ...

. He coached Ann Margaret Nelson, a finalist in the 110-yard backstroke in the

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...

1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games The 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games (Welsh: Gemau Ymerodraeth Prydain a'r Gymanwlad 1958) were held in Cardiff, Wales, from 18–26 July 1958. Thirty-five nations sent a total of 1,130 athletes and 228 officials to the Cardiff Games ...

, where she finished fifth with a time of 1.15.5, behind Judy Grinham of England. Arthur Cusack is the great uncle of Simon Cusack, Robert Cusack's son. Simon Cusack is the head Coach of Commercial Swimming Club, where he coaches Australian swimmers

Cate Campbell Cate Natalie Campbell, (born 20 May 1992) is a Malawian-born Australian competitive swimming (sport), swimmer, and a current multiple world record holder, who won two bronze medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics, a gold medal at the 2012 Summer O ...

Bronte Campbell Bronte Campbell (born 14 May 1994) is a Malawian-born Australian competitive swimmer, a dual Olympic gold-medal winner and world champion. Her older sister, Cate, is also a competitive swimmer, and once held world records in both the short an ...

and

Christian Sprenger Christian David Sprenger (born 19 December 1985) is an Australian former breaststroke swimmer. He trains at the Commercial Swimming Club under Simon Cusack. Swimming career At the 2008 Australian Swimming Championships he qualified in the 10 ...

New turning technique

Arthur Cusack introduced a backstroke turn and a bent-arm stroke to assist

in his quest for Olympic gold. This new turning technique was seen as suspect by some officials during the heats of the 100m backstroke at the 1956 Olympics, who wanted Theile to give a demonstration for their review, a request Cusack refused. The turn was not subsequently used by Thiele during the final, but during the 1957 Queensland Championships, Theile was disqualified for the only time in his career when officials ruled that the turning style was illegal. This turning style was soon adopted by other swimmers, and is still used today.

Awards and recognition

Cusack was a member of the

Australian Olympic Committee Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal Aus ...

for many years. He is a Merit Award Recipient and is on the Honour Roll of the

, - Queensland Olympic Council for his services to Olympic Swimming and the Olympic Movement in Australia. On 24 December 2007, at the Queensland Swimming championships in Brisbane, Queensland, Arthur Cusack was posthumously inducted into the Queensland Swimming Association Hall of Fame.

References

External links

Maryborough Swimming Club History

Commercial Swimming Club

Queensland Olympic Council Honour Roll

International Olympic Committee - Index of Summer Games

Commonwealth Games Federation : Past games
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cusack, Arthur 1919 births Australian swimming coaches 2000 deaths People from Maryborough, Queensland