John Allan Doms (22 January 1927 – 22 January 2018) was a New Zealand swimmer. He won gold and silver medals at the

1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games Events January * January 1 – The Soviet Union ceases to demand war reparations from West Germany. * January 3 – The Italian broadcaster RAI officially begins transmitting. * January 7 – Georgetown-IBM experiment: The fir ...

in Vancouver, becoming the first New Zealander to win an individual swimming gold medal at a British Empire or Commonwealth Games.

Biography

Born on 22 January 1927, Doms married Maureen Holman in 1952. Holman is also a swimmer of some note, having won the women's 440 yards at the New Zealand national championships in 1948. The couple went on to have three daughters. Both Holman and Doms were coached by Bob Frankham. In all, Doms won eight New Zealand national swimming titles, winning both the 100- and 220-yards breaststroke titles every year from 1952 to 1955. At the

Doms won the gold medal in the men's 220 yards breaststroke — the first New Zealander to win an individual swimming championship at a British Empire and Commonwealth Games. He also won the silver medal in the men's 330 yards medley relay with teammates Lincoln Hurring and Buddy Lucas. Doms retired from competitive swimming after the 1958 national championships. Aged 55, Doms ran his first marathon after meeting

Arthur Lydiard Arthur Leslie Lydiard (6 July 1917 – 11 December 2004) was a New Zealand runner and athletics coach. He has been lauded as one of the outstanding athletics coaches of all time and is credited with popularising the sport of running and making ...

while playing golf. As of 2004, he had completed 78 marathons and countless half-marathons. In 2000, Doms was one of about 300 New Zealanders who carried the

Olympic torch The Olympic flame is a symbol used in the Olympic movement. It is also a symbol of continuity between ancient and modern games. Several months before the Olympic Games, the Olympic flame is lit at Olympia, Greece. This ceremony starts the Olym ...

during the New Zealand leg of the 2000 Summer Olympics torch relay. Doms died in

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a College town, university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cam ...

on 22 January 2018, his 91st birthday.

References

1927 births 2018 deaths Commonwealth Games gold medallists for New Zealand Commonwealth Games silver medallists for New Zealand New Zealand male breaststroke swimmers Swimmers at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games Commonwealth Games medallists in swimming Medallists at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games {{NewZealand-swimming-bio-stub

Biography

See also

References