John James Monckton (28 October 1938 – 29 June 2017) was an Australian

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 ...

swimmer Swimming is an individual or team racing sport that requires the use of one's entire body to move through water. The sport takes place in pools or open water (e.g., in a sea or lake). Competitive swimming is one of the most popular Olympic ...

who won a silver medal in the 100-metre event at the

1956 Summer 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 ...

in Melbourne. Although he set multiple world records, he never won an Olympic gold medal.John Monckton
. sports-reference.com An apprentice carpenter from the

New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...

region of

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

, Monckton appeared to be primed to win gold at the 1956 Olympics. At the national team camp in Townsville before the games, he became the first person to swim 400-metre backstroke in under five minutes. Although it was not a regularly contested event at international level, it was a promising sign for the event to be included for medal competition in the Olympics. He also set world records in the 110- and 220-yard freestyle events. At the Olympics, Monckton was the fastest qualifier in the heats and semifinal, but was upstaged in the final by teammate

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 ...

. In the absence of Theile, who had retired after the Olympics to study medicine at university, Monckton dominated backstroke swimming, winning the 110-yard backstroke event at the

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 ...

in Cardiff and also the 4×110-yard medley relay. Monckton then prepared for another Olympics in 1960 in Rome, with Theile deferring his studies to defend his Olympic title. Monckton again led the qualifying in the heats and semifinals. However, in the final, he misjudged the turn and broke a finger. He limped home in seventh position, with Theile successfully defending his title. Monckton continued competing in the hope of reaching a third Olympics in 1964, but retired after his performances began to deteriorate. He married Maureen Giles, an Australian swimmer at the 1956 Olympics. He was inducted into the

Sport Australia Hall of Fame The Sport Australia Hall of Fame was established on 10 December 1985 to recognise the achievements of Australian sportsmen and sportswomen. The inaugural induction included 120 members with Sir Don Bradman as the first inductee and Dawn Fraser th ...

in 1999. The Monckton Aquatic Centre in his hometown of Armidale is named for him.

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Monckton, John 1938 births 2017 deaths Australian male backstroke swimmers Sportsmen from New South Wales Swimmers at the 1956 Summer Olympics Swimmers at the 1960 Summer Olympics Olympic swimmers of Australia Olympic silver medalists for Australia Sport Australia Hall of Fame inductees Commonwealth Games gold medallists for Australia World record setters in swimming Medalists at the 1956 Summer Olympics Olympic silver medalists in swimming Swimmers at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games Commonwealth Games medallists in swimming 20th-century Australian people

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