Arthur Cusack | |
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Born | 9 September 1919 Maryborough, Queensland |
Died | 2000 Brisbane, Queensland |
Occupation | Australian Olympic swimming coach |
Arthur Cusack (born 1919, Maryborough, Queensland; died 2000, Brisbane) was an Australian Olympic swimming coach in the 1950s and 1960s.
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. David Theile 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 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 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.
Arthur Cusack was the coach of Olympic Gold medal winner David Theile, who won gold in the 100m backstroke in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics and the 1960 Rome Olympics. He won the silver in the 4 × 100 m Medley Relay team at the same games in Rome.
Arthur Cusack coached his nephew Robert Cusack, who won a bronze medal along with Michael Wenden, Bob Windle and Greg Rogers in the 4 × 100 m freestyle relay at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. He coached Ann Margaret Nelson, a finalist in the 110-yard backstroke in the Cardiff 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, where she finished fifth with a time of 1.15.5, behind Judy Grinham of England.