Adrian Moorhouse
Encyclopedia
Adrian David Moorhouse MBE
(born 24 May 1964) is a British
former swimmer who dominated British swimming in the late 1980s. He won the 100 m breaststroke
gold medal
at the Seoul Olympics. Since then Moorhouse, a former pupil of Bradford Grammar School
, has translated his sporting success to a successful career in the business world, as Managing Director of Lane 4 Management Group. He is also a swimming commentator for BBC
television.
, attended Bradford Grammar School
and went to 4th Shipley Scouts.
In 1980 he was selected for the England Junior team and broke the national junior records for both the 100 m and 200 m breaststroke. When he was 15, he was chosen for the national senior squad, number two to the Olympic gold medallist, Duncan Goodhew
.
Moorhouse became Britain’s number one breaststroke swimmer in 1981 when he won a bronze medal for the 200 m in the European Championships in Yugoslavia
. The following year he gained his first taste of gold after winning the 100 m breaststroke at the Commonwealth Games in Australia
.
At the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984, Moorhouse was tipped for a gold medal in the 100 m breaststroke but missed out completely coming fourth. “I was devastated”. He says. “After the Games I convinced myself that I had no talent and that I was never going to win again. I didn’t want anything to do with swimming”.
He celebrated his comeback in April 1985 when he broke the World Short Course (25 m pool) record for the 100 m, and went on to win the European Championship gold medal in Bulgaria
.
In 1986, Moorhouse suffered another setback to rank with his Olympic debacle, finishing first in the World Championships in Madrid
but being disqualified for an illegal turn.
In 1987, putting the Madrid episode behind him, Moorhouse became the first person in history to swim 100 m breaststroke in less than a minute, out-swimming the former world record holder, Rolf Beab, in front of a partisan German
crowd in Bonn
, in a time of 59.75 s.
Moorhouse started Olympic year, 1988, on the right note by winning the 100 m breaststroke at the US Indoor Championships to confirm his status as number one in the world. In September he achieved a lifetime’s ambition at Seoul when, following in the footsteps of David Wilkie
and Duncan Goodhew, he won Olympic gold in the 100 m breaststroke.
of Canada
. It is very rare in competitive swimming to witness an exciting rivalry that lasts for years between two world-class swimmers, but theirs was possibly the best of all.
Victor Davis first encountered Adrian Moorhouse at the 1982 Commonwealth Games
in Brisbane
when Davis took gold in the 200 m breaststroke, and Moorhouse took the gold in the 100 m breaststroke. Both races were nail-bitingly close, and set the scene for some epic breaststroke encounters to come in the years ahead.
They met again later at the 1982 World Championships in Guayaquil
, Ecuador
, but this time Davis had the upper hand in both events, taking the gold in the 200 m and silver in the 100 m. Moorhouse, also in his first World Championships, only managed to finish 5th in the 100 m, and 7th in the 200 m.
Their next encounter was at the 1984 Olympics
, and it seemed that both their chances were enhanced by the voluntary boycott of both East Germany and the Soviet Union. The 1984 Games were perhaps Victor Davis’ finest competition, as he took gold in the 200 m and silver in the 100 m. Meanwhile, Moorhouse suffered badly. Having had severe tonsillitis just days before the start of the Games, he finished 4th in the 100 m and 6th in the 200 m. Davis, now at the pinnacle of his swimming career, was voted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame.
At the time of the 1986 Commonwealth Games
in Edinburgh
, Victor Davis was universally recognised as the finest breaststroker in the world. He reaffirmed that recognition by taking gold in the 100 m event. However, Adrian Moorhouse was improving rapidly. Now the European Champion, he surprised Davis by sneaking the gold in the 200 m event.
By the time of the 1986 World Championships in Madrid
, the world swimming media were hyping up the 100 m breaststroke event as ‘the event of the championships’, knowing that it would inevitably prove to be another great battle between Victor Davis and Adrian Moorhouse. The media, along with the 6,000 crowd, were not to be disappointed. Moorhouse was in great shape, and getting faster all the time. Davis couldn't contain Moorhouse over the final 25 m, and Moorhouse took the 100 m gold in a new European Record of 1.02.01 secs. Davis took the silver in 1:02.71, and looked disgusted with himself as he climbed out of the pool. However, the controversy was soon about to begin.
The officials decided to disqualify Moorhouse for an ‘illegal turn’, stating that he had used a butterfly kicking action during the underwater phase of the 50 m turn. TV crews from around the world began to analyse the footage of the ‘illegal turn’ from all conceivable angles, but each time it looked perfectly sound.
The British camp tried to appeal against the decision, but the call of the ‘turn judge’ was upheld and Victor Davis was awarded the gold medal, leaving Moorhouse with absolutely nothing. Davis received his gold medal on the rostrum looking decidedly dejected; he was the ultimate perfectionist, and didn’t feel as if he had truly won this race against his closest rival. He also knew Moorhouse well, and was aware that it had taken more than just an "illegal turn" for him to beat Davis by more than half a second. Later in the same championships, Davis went on to take silver in the 200 m breaststroke — beaten by the emerging Hungarian swimmer, Josef Szabo. Meanwhile, Moorhouse withdrew from the 200 m event with a strained adductor muscle.
The final encounter between Davis and Moorhouse at the 1988 Olympic Games
in Seoul
, which also proved to be Davis’ final international competition. Both of them had announced before the Games that the 100 m event was to be their main priority. Davis had performed poorly at the Canadian Olympic Trials, and had surprisingly not made the team in the 200 m breaststroke, while Moorhouse was then in the form of his life. He was ranked number one in the world, and his lifetime best of 1:01.78 was then very close to the world record 1:01.65.
Davis, still the Canadian Record Holder at 1:01.99, was only ranked 6th in the world going into the 1988 Olympics and no-one really knew what kind of shape he was going to be in. In the morning heats, Davis looked very impressive. He led the field from the start, and easily won his heat in a time of 1:02.48. Only Moorhouse was able to qualify in a faster time, winning his heat in a superb time of 1:02.19.
In the anticipation before the final, many people believed that Moorhouse was the slight favourite, but some pundits still had the feeling that Davis had one more great swim left up his sleeve. After one false start, Moorhouse looked the more nervous of the two behind the starting blocks. Meanwhile, Davis looked very cool and calm. He was now vastly experienced, and ready to deliver the ultimate performance.
The race was underway at the second time of asking. Both Davis and Volkov made strong starts, leaving Moorhouse slightly trailing. As the first 50 m unfolded, Dmitri Volkov of the USSR powered into a 2-metre lead, and Davis was matched stroke for stroke by Moorhouse. Volkov touched first at the 50 m mark in 28.12 s, setting a new 50 metre breaststroke world record. Moorhouse turned 6th in 29.42 s, and Davis turned 7th in 29.46 s. Volkov made an amazing turn, and extended his lead over the field even more. As Volkov reached the 75 m mark, he looked a certainty for the gold medal. He was 3–4 metres ahead of Moorhouse, Davis and Károly Güttler
of Hungary
, but he was tiring fast. It was at this point of the race where Davis and Moorhouse usually made their move, and they closed in on Volkov. As the swimmers entered the final 5 metres, it was difficult to tell where the medals were going to go.
In an extremely close finish, Moorhouse took the gold in 1:02.04, just ahead of Guttler’s time of 1:02.05, only one one-hundredth of a second separating the two of them.
The bronze medal was won by Volkov, in a time of 1:02.20, leaving Victor Davis in 4th place, with a time of 1:02.38.
. He remained as the world number one until 1991.
But in 1992 year he started to slip and in Barcelona Olympic Games
only managed eighth in the final.
He retired from swimming after the Games and since then has enjoyed a successful career as management development consultant advising companies on how best to use their personnel resources. One of his best friends was Graham Brookhouse
who was in the same Olympic team only Graham was competing in the Modern Pentathlon at the 1988 Summer Olympics
Today he rarely swims and his only contact with the sport is through his commentary work with the BBC.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 24 May 1964) is a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
former swimmer who dominated British swimming in the late 1980s. He won the 100 m breaststroke
Breaststroke
The breaststroke is a swimming style in which the swimmer is on his or her chest and the torso does not rotate. It is the most popular recreational style due to its stability and the ability to keep the head out of the water a large portion of the time. In most swimming classes, beginners learn...
gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
at the Seoul Olympics. Since then Moorhouse, a former pupil of Bradford Grammar School
Bradford Grammar School
Bradford Grammar School is a co-educational, independent school in Frizinghall, Bradford, West Yorkshire. Headmaster, Stephen Davidson is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference . The school was founded in 1548 and granted its Charter by King Charles II in 1662...
, has translated his sporting success to a successful career in the business world, as Managing Director of Lane 4 Management Group. He is also a swimming commentator for BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television.
Early career
Moorhouse was born in BradfordBradford
Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...
, attended Bradford Grammar School
Bradford Grammar School
Bradford Grammar School is a co-educational, independent school in Frizinghall, Bradford, West Yorkshire. Headmaster, Stephen Davidson is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference . The school was founded in 1548 and granted its Charter by King Charles II in 1662...
and went to 4th Shipley Scouts.
In 1980 he was selected for the England Junior team and broke the national junior records for both the 100 m and 200 m breaststroke. When he was 15, he was chosen for the national senior squad, number two to the Olympic gold medallist, Duncan Goodhew
Duncan Goodhew
Duncan Alexander Goodhew MBE is a British swimming athlete. After swimming competitively in America as a collegian at North Carolina State University, he was an Olympic swimmer for Great Britain and won Olympic gold and bronze medals at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow.-Biography:Goodhew...
.
Moorhouse became Britain’s number one breaststroke swimmer in 1981 when he won a bronze medal for the 200 m in the European Championships in Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
. The following year he gained his first taste of gold after winning the 100 m breaststroke at the Commonwealth Games in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
At the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984, Moorhouse was tipped for a gold medal in the 100 m breaststroke but missed out completely coming fourth. “I was devastated”. He says. “After the Games I convinced myself that I had no talent and that I was never going to win again. I didn’t want anything to do with swimming”.
He celebrated his comeback in April 1985 when he broke the World Short Course (25 m pool) record for the 100 m, and went on to win the European Championship gold medal in Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
.
In 1986, Moorhouse suffered another setback to rank with his Olympic debacle, finishing first in the World Championships in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
but being disqualified for an illegal turn.
In 1987, putting the Madrid episode behind him, Moorhouse became the first person in history to swim 100 m breaststroke in less than a minute, out-swimming the former world record holder, Rolf Beab, in front of a partisan German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
crowd in Bonn
Bonn
Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
, in a time of 59.75 s.
Moorhouse started Olympic year, 1988, on the right note by winning the 100 m breaststroke at the US Indoor Championships to confirm his status as number one in the world. In September he achieved a lifetime’s ambition at Seoul when, following in the footsteps of David Wilkie
David Wilkie (swimmer)
David Andrew Wilkie MBE is a Scottish former swimmer, who was Olympic and Commonwealth Games champion in the 1970s.He is a member of the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame.-Biography:...
and Duncan Goodhew, he won Olympic gold in the 100 m breaststroke.
Rivalry with Victor Davis
Perhaps the most enduring memories of Adrian Moorhouse's career arise from his arch-rivalry with the late Victor DavisVictor Davis
Victor Davis, CM was a Canadian Olympic and world champion swimmer, a well known breaststroker from Canada. He also enjoyed success in the individual medley and the butterfly.-Biography:...
of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is very rare in competitive swimming to witness an exciting rivalry that lasts for years between two world-class swimmers, but theirs was possibly the best of all.
Victor Davis first encountered Adrian Moorhouse at the 1982 Commonwealth Games
1982 Commonwealth Games
The 1982 Commonwealth Games were held in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia from 30 September–9 October 1982. The Opening Ceremony was held at the QEII Stadium , in the Brisbane suburb of Nathan. The QEII Stadium was also the venue which was used for the athletics and archery competitions during the...
in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
when Davis took gold in the 200 m breaststroke, and Moorhouse took the gold in the 100 m breaststroke. Both races were nail-bitingly close, and set the scene for some epic breaststroke encounters to come in the years ahead.
They met again later at the 1982 World Championships in Guayaquil
Guayaquil
Guayaquil , officially Santiago de Guayaquil , is the largest and the most populous city in Ecuador,with about 2.3 million inhabitants in the city and nearly 3.1 million in the metropolitan area, as well as that nation's main port...
, Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
, but this time Davis had the upper hand in both events, taking the gold in the 200 m and silver in the 100 m. Moorhouse, also in his first World Championships, only managed to finish 5th in the 100 m, and 7th in the 200 m.
Their next encounter was at the 1984 Olympics
1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
, and it seemed that both their chances were enhanced by the voluntary boycott of both East Germany and the Soviet Union. The 1984 Games were perhaps Victor Davis’ finest competition, as he took gold in the 200 m and silver in the 100 m. Meanwhile, Moorhouse suffered badly. Having had severe tonsillitis just days before the start of the Games, he finished 4th in the 100 m and 6th in the 200 m. Davis, now at the pinnacle of his swimming career, was voted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame.
At the time of the 1986 Commonwealth Games
1986 Commonwealth Games
The 1986 Commonwealth Games were held in Edinburgh, Scotland for the second time. The Games were held from 24 July-2 August 1986.-Organisation and Controversy:...
in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Victor Davis was universally recognised as the finest breaststroker in the world. He reaffirmed that recognition by taking gold in the 100 m event. However, Adrian Moorhouse was improving rapidly. Now the European Champion, he surprised Davis by sneaking the gold in the 200 m event.
By the time of the 1986 World Championships in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, the world swimming media were hyping up the 100 m breaststroke event as ‘the event of the championships’, knowing that it would inevitably prove to be another great battle between Victor Davis and Adrian Moorhouse. The media, along with the 6,000 crowd, were not to be disappointed. Moorhouse was in great shape, and getting faster all the time. Davis couldn't contain Moorhouse over the final 25 m, and Moorhouse took the 100 m gold in a new European Record of 1.02.01 secs. Davis took the silver in 1:02.71, and looked disgusted with himself as he climbed out of the pool. However, the controversy was soon about to begin.
The officials decided to disqualify Moorhouse for an ‘illegal turn’, stating that he had used a butterfly kicking action during the underwater phase of the 50 m turn. TV crews from around the world began to analyse the footage of the ‘illegal turn’ from all conceivable angles, but each time it looked perfectly sound.
The British camp tried to appeal against the decision, but the call of the ‘turn judge’ was upheld and Victor Davis was awarded the gold medal, leaving Moorhouse with absolutely nothing. Davis received his gold medal on the rostrum looking decidedly dejected; he was the ultimate perfectionist, and didn’t feel as if he had truly won this race against his closest rival. He also knew Moorhouse well, and was aware that it had taken more than just an "illegal turn" for him to beat Davis by more than half a second. Later in the same championships, Davis went on to take silver in the 200 m breaststroke — beaten by the emerging Hungarian swimmer, Josef Szabo. Meanwhile, Moorhouse withdrew from the 200 m event with a strained adductor muscle.
The final encounter between Davis and Moorhouse at the 1988 Olympic Games
1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...
in Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
, which also proved to be Davis’ final international competition. Both of them had announced before the Games that the 100 m event was to be their main priority. Davis had performed poorly at the Canadian Olympic Trials, and had surprisingly not made the team in the 200 m breaststroke, while Moorhouse was then in the form of his life. He was ranked number one in the world, and his lifetime best of 1:01.78 was then very close to the world record 1:01.65.
Davis, still the Canadian Record Holder at 1:01.99, was only ranked 6th in the world going into the 1988 Olympics and no-one really knew what kind of shape he was going to be in. In the morning heats, Davis looked very impressive. He led the field from the start, and easily won his heat in a time of 1:02.48. Only Moorhouse was able to qualify in a faster time, winning his heat in a superb time of 1:02.19.
In the anticipation before the final, many people believed that Moorhouse was the slight favourite, but some pundits still had the feeling that Davis had one more great swim left up his sleeve. After one false start, Moorhouse looked the more nervous of the two behind the starting blocks. Meanwhile, Davis looked very cool and calm. He was now vastly experienced, and ready to deliver the ultimate performance.
The race was underway at the second time of asking. Both Davis and Volkov made strong starts, leaving Moorhouse slightly trailing. As the first 50 m unfolded, Dmitri Volkov of the USSR powered into a 2-metre lead, and Davis was matched stroke for stroke by Moorhouse. Volkov touched first at the 50 m mark in 28.12 s, setting a new 50 metre breaststroke world record. Moorhouse turned 6th in 29.42 s, and Davis turned 7th in 29.46 s. Volkov made an amazing turn, and extended his lead over the field even more. As Volkov reached the 75 m mark, he looked a certainty for the gold medal. He was 3–4 metres ahead of Moorhouse, Davis and Károly Güttler
Károly Güttler
Károly Güttler is a former breaststroker from Hungary, who represented his native country at four consecutive Olympics, beginning with the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul and ending with the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia...
of Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, but he was tiring fast. It was at this point of the race where Davis and Moorhouse usually made their move, and they closed in on Volkov. As the swimmers entered the final 5 metres, it was difficult to tell where the medals were going to go.
In an extremely close finish, Moorhouse took the gold in 1:02.04, just ahead of Guttler’s time of 1:02.05, only one one-hundredth of a second separating the two of them.
The bronze medal was won by Volkov, in a time of 1:02.20, leaving Victor Davis in 4th place, with a time of 1:02.38.
Later career and retirement
In 1989 Moorhouse was appointed MBEOrder of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
. He remained as the world number one until 1991.
But in 1992 year he started to slip and in Barcelona Olympic Games
1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
only managed eighth in the final.
He retired from swimming after the Games and since then has enjoyed a successful career as management development consultant advising companies on how best to use their personnel resources. One of his best friends was Graham Brookhouse
Graham Brookhouse
Graham Raymond Brookhouse was born on 19 June 1962 and was brought up in Birmingham, England and competed for the modern pentathlon in the Seoul Olympics.- Seoul Olympics :...
who was in the same Olympic team only Graham was competing in the Modern Pentathlon at the 1988 Summer Olympics
Modern pentathlon at the 1988 Summer Olympics
Final results for the modern pentathlon at the 1988 Summer OlympicsIt was fought in five days on September 18 to 22, and individual results were also directly applied towards the team event ranking.This article describes the comprehensive record of the event...
Today he rarely swims and his only contact with the sport is through his commentary work with the BBC.