Robert Cusack
Encyclopedia
Robert Cusack was an Australia
n butterfly and freestyle swimmer of the 1960s and 1970s, who won a bronze medal in the 4x100m freestyle relay at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics
.
Born in Maryborough, Queensland
his uncle was Arthur Cusack
, the coach of double Olympic backstroke champion David Theile
who also came from Maryborough, Queensland
. Cusack combined with Michael Wenden
, Bob Windle
and Greg Rogers
to win bronze in the 4x100m freestyle relay, behind the United States
and the Soviet Union
. He also competed in the medley relay, missing bronze by 0.1s, the 100m butterfly, finishing eighth in the final and the 200m butterfly being eliminated in the heats.
He first started competitive swimming at age 9 coached by his father Robert Cusack and then later during his summer vacations he would travel to Brisbane to train with his uncle Arthur Cusack
at the Centenary Pool, Brisbane where his uncle was the lessee of the pool. His uncle went on to coach him into the Australian Olympic team for the 1968 Mexico City Olympics
. ,
He recalled these days training with his uncle in an interview in 2004, " We'd train seven miles a day, three sessions a day all through the holidays. Then at night time we'd get into the diving pools and search the bottom for any loose change."
He later went onto become a professional coach commencing at the Indooroopilly Swimming Club in 1977 and continues to coach at the same club. He has trained numerous State and National swimmers from the club including his own son Simon Cusack who was an Australian National Age Finalist. Simon is head performance coach at Indooroopilly alongside his father who is Director of Coaching. Simon is the current coach of Australian Swimming Team swimmers Cate Campbell
and triple olympic gold medalist Jodie Henry
.
In 2004 in honour of his dedication and commitment to swimming, the community bestowed the honour of naming the swimming pool at Indooroopily after Robert Cusack.
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...
n butterfly and freestyle swimmer of the 1960s and 1970s, who won a bronze medal in the 4x100m freestyle relay at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics
1968 Summer Olympics
The 1968 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Mexico City, Mexico in October 1968. The 1968 Games were the first Olympic Games hosted by a developing country, and the first Games hosted by a Spanish-speaking country...
.
Born in Maryborough, Queensland
Maryborough, Queensland
Maryborough is a city located on the Mary River in South East Queensland, Australia, approximately north of the state capital, Brisbane. The city is serviced by the Bruce Highway, and has a population of approximately 22,000 . It is closely tied to its neighbour city Hervey Bay which is...
his uncle was Arthur Cusack
Arthur Cusack
Arthur Cusack was an Australian Olympic swimming coach in the 1950s and 1960s.-Early career:...
, the coach of double Olympic backstroke champion David Theile
David Theile
David Egmont Theile , was an Australian backstroke swimmer of the 1950s and 1960s, who won consecutive gold medals in the 100 m backstroke at the 1956 and 1960 Summer Olympics, the only Australian to do so...
who also came from Maryborough, Queensland
Maryborough, Queensland
Maryborough is a city located on the Mary River in South East Queensland, Australia, approximately north of the state capital, Brisbane. The city is serviced by the Bruce Highway, and has a population of approximately 22,000 . It is closely tied to its neighbour city Hervey Bay which is...
. Cusack combined with Michael Wenden
Michael Wenden
Michael Vincent Wenden AM MBE was a champion swimmer who represented Australia in the 1968 Summer Olympics and 1972 Summer Olympics...
, Bob Windle
Bob Windle
Robert George "Bob" Windle is a former Australian freestyle swimmer of the 1960s, who won four Olympic medals, including an individual gold medal...
and Greg Rogers
Greg Rogers
Gregory Rogers was an Australian sprint freestyle swimmer of the 1960s and 1970s, who won a silver and bronze medal in the 4x200m and 4x100m freestyle relays respectively at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics...
to win bronze in the 4x100m freestyle relay, behind the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. He also competed in the medley relay, missing bronze by 0.1s, the 100m butterfly, finishing eighth in the final and the 200m butterfly being eliminated in the heats.
He first started competitive swimming at age 9 coached by his father Robert Cusack and then later during his summer vacations he would travel to Brisbane to train with his uncle Arthur Cusack
Arthur Cusack
Arthur Cusack was an Australian Olympic swimming coach in the 1950s and 1960s.-Early career:...
at the Centenary Pool, Brisbane where his uncle was the lessee of the pool. His uncle went on to coach him into the Australian Olympic team for the 1968 Mexico City Olympics
1968 Summer Olympics
The 1968 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Mexico City, Mexico in October 1968. The 1968 Games were the first Olympic Games hosted by a developing country, and the first Games hosted by a Spanish-speaking country...
. ,
He recalled these days training with his uncle in an interview in 2004, " We'd train seven miles a day, three sessions a day all through the holidays. Then at night time we'd get into the diving pools and search the bottom for any loose change."
He later went onto become a professional coach commencing at the Indooroopilly Swimming Club in 1977 and continues to coach at the same club. He has trained numerous State and National swimmers from the club including his own son Simon Cusack who was an Australian National Age Finalist. Simon is head performance coach at Indooroopilly alongside his father who is Director of Coaching. Simon is the current coach of Australian Swimming Team swimmers Cate Campbell
Cate Campbell
Cate Campbell is an Australian swimmer who won two bronze medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Her family moved from Malawi to Australia in 2001 and it was shortly after this Campbell took up competitive swimming...
and triple olympic gold medalist Jodie Henry
Jodie Henry
Jodie Clare Henry OAM is an Australian swimmer, Olympic gold medalist and former world-record holder.-Swimming career:Jodie Henry began swimming competitively at the relatively late age of 14....
.
In 2004 in honour of his dedication and commitment to swimming, the community bestowed the honour of naming the swimming pool at Indooroopily after Robert Cusack.