Rick DeMont

Last updated

Rick DeMont
Rick DeMont 1972.jpg
DeMont at the 1972 Olympics
Personal information
Full nameRichard James DeMont
Nickname(s)"Rick"
National teamUnited States
Born (1956-04-21) April 21, 1956 (age 67)
San Francisco, California, U.S. [1]
Height6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight185 lb (84 kg)
Sport
Sport Swimming
Strokes Freestyle
ClubMarin Aquatic Club [1]
Medal record
Representing the United States
World Championships (LC)
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 1973 Belgrade 400 m freestyle
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 1973 Belgrade 1500 m freestyle
Pan American Games
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 1975 Mexico City 4×200 m freestyle
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 1975 Mexico City 200 m freestyle

Richard James DeMont (born April 21, 1956) is an American former competition swimmer, world champion, and former world record-holder in multiple events. DeMont is often remembered for the controversy arising from his disqualification at the 1972 Summer Olympics because he tested positive for a prohibited substance present in his prescription asthma medication.

Contents

Biography

DeMont was born in San Francisco, California, and he attended Terra Linda High School in suburban San Rafael, California. He trained with the Marin Aquatic Club. As a 16-year-old, DeMont qualified to represent the United States at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany. He won a gold medal for his first-place finish (4:00.26) in the men's 400-meter freestyle. Following the race, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) stripped DeMont of his gold medal [2] after his post-race urinalysis tested positive for traces of the banned substance ephedrine contained in his prescription asthma medication, Marax. The positive test following the 400-meter freestyle final also deprived him of a chance at multiple medals, as he was not permitted to swim in any other events at the 1972 Olympics, including the 1,500-meter freestyle for which he was the then-current world record-holder. Before the Olympics, DeMont had properly declared his asthma medications on his medical disclosure forms, but the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) had not cleared them with the IOC's medical committee. [1]

At the 1973 World Aquatics Championships in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, DeMont became the first man to swim the 400-meter freestyle in under four minutes (3:58.18). The same year he was voted World Swimmer of the Year. [3]

In 1990 DeMont was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame. [3] In 2001 the USOC admitted that it had mishandled DeMont's medical information at the 1972 Olympics and appealed to the IOC to reinstate the medal. [4] To date, the IOC has not officially changed the race results nor overturned his ban. [5]

Coaching career

DeMont was an assistant coach for the South African men's swim team at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, and the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.

In 2014, after being a member of the coaching staff for 24 seasons, DeMont was named the head coach of the men's and women's swimming and diving teams at the University of Arizona. [6]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Spitz</span> American Olympic swimmer

Mark Andrew Spitz is an American former competitive swimmer and nine-time Olympic champion. He was the most successful competitor at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, winning seven gold medals, each in world-record time. This achievement set a record that lasted for 36 years, until it was surpassed by fellow American Michael Phelps, who won eight golds at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Janet Evans</span> American swimmer

Janet Beth Evans is an American former competition swimmer who specialized in distance freestyle events. Evans was a world champion and world record-holder, and won a total of four gold medals at the 1988 and the 1992 Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Debbie Meyer</span> American swimmer

Deborah Elizabeth Meyer, also known by her married name Deborah Weber, is an American former competition swimmer, a three-time Olympic champion, and a former world record-holder in four events. Meyer won the 200-, 400-, and 800-meter freestyle swimming races in the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. While she was still a 16-year-old student at Rio Americano High School in Sacramento, California, she became the first swimmer to win three individual gold medals in one Olympics, winning the 200-, 400-, and 800-meter freestyle swimming races. Katie Ledecky is the only other female swimmer to have done the same, in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Montgomery (swimmer)</span> American swimmer

James Paul Montgomery is an American former competition swimmer, four-time Olympic medalist, and former world record-holder. Montgomery was the first man to break the 50-second barrier (49.99) in the 100-meter freestyle, at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Quebec, where he won three gold medals and one bronze.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shirley Babashoff</span> American swimmer

Shirley Frances Babashoff is an American former competition swimmer, Olympic champion, and former world record-holder in multiple events. Babashoff set six world records and earned a total of nine Olympic medals in her career. She won a gold medal in the 400-meter freestyle relay in both the 1972 and 1976 Olympics, and she won the 1975 world championship in both the 200-meter and 400-meter freestyle. During her career, she set 37 national records and for some time held all national freestyle records from the 100-meter to 800-meter event.

Thomas Fitzgerald Dolan is an American former competition swimmer, two-time Olympic champion, and former world record-holder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephen Holland</span> Australian Olympic swimmer

Stephen Roy Holland, OAM is an Australian former freestyle swimmer of the 1970s who won a bronze medal in the 1500 m freestyle at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. In a brief and spectacular career, he broke 12 world records and was known as the Super Fish after his coach Laurie Lawrence likened his two-beat kick to the tail of a fish. He was educated at the Anglican Church Grammar School.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brad Cooper</span> Australian swimmer

Bradford Paul Cooper is an Australian former freestyle and backstroke swimmer of the 1970s, who won a gold medal in the 400 m freestyle at the 1972 Summer Olympics. In that race he originally finished second by the smallest margin ever to decide an Olympic swimming final, but was later awarded the gold medal after the victor, American Rick DeMont, an asthmatic, was disqualified after his post-race urinalysis tested positive for traces of the banned substance ephedrine contained in his prescription asthma medication, Marax.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fred Tyler</span> American swimmer and coach

Frederick Daniel Tyler is an American competitive swimmer and aquatics coach, winner of several high school and college championships and a gold medal in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay at the 1972 Summer Olympics and author.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ford Konno</span>

Ford Hiroshi Konno is a Japanese–American former competition swimmer, two-time Olympic champion, and former world record-holder in three events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Burton (swimmer)</span> American swimmer

Michael Jay Burton is an American swimmer, three-time Olympic champion, and former world record-holder in two freestyle distance events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keena Rothhammer</span> American swimmer

Keena Ruth Rothhammer is an American former competition swimmer, Olympic champion, and former world record-holder in two events.

George Thomas Breen was an American competition swimmer, four-time Olympic medalist, and world record-holder in three events. After retiring as a swimmer, he became a coach at Jersey Wahoos Swim Club in New Jersey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bruce Furniss</span> American swimmer

Bruce MacFarlane Furniss is an American former competition swimmer, Olympic gold medalist, and former world record-holder in four events. At the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Quebec, he won the Men's 200-meter Freestyle and was a member of the winning U.S. team in the Men's 4×200-meter Freestyle Relay, both in world record time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kim Peyton</span> American swimmer (1957–1986)

Kim Marie Peyton, also known by her married name Kim McDonald, was an American swimmer and Olympic gold medalist at the 1976 Summer Olympics. She was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1989, three years after her death at age 29 from a brain tumor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerry Heidenreich</span> American swimmer (1950–2002)

Jerome Alan Heidenreich was an American competition swimmer, Olympic champion, and former world record-holder. He competed at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany, where he received gold medals in the 4×100-meter medley relay, and 4×100-meter freestyle relay. He received a silver medal in 100-meter freestyle, and a bronze medal in 100-meter butterfly.

Brian Stuart Goodell is an American politician, former competitive swimmer, two-time Olympic champion, and former world record-holder in two events. He is a city councilman and former mayor of Mission Viejo, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Shaw (swimmer)</span> American swimmer

Timothy Andrew Shaw is an American former Olympic medal-winning swimmer and water polo player. He swam at the 1976 Summer Olympics and played on the American team at the 1984 Summer Olympics. He is one of a handful of athletes to win Olympic medals in two different sports. Between 1974 and 1984, Shaw won two Olympic silver medals; three world championships; seven U.S. Amateur Athletic Union national titles; and three U.S. National Collegiate Athletic Association championships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cynthia Woodhead</span> American swimmer

Cynthia Lee Woodhead, commonly known by her family nickname "Sippy", is an American former competition swimmer, world champion, Olympic medalist, and former world record-holder. She won three gold medals at the 1978 World Championships, when she was only 14 years old, and set seven world records during her career.

The men's 400 metre freestyle event at the 1972 Olympic Games took place September 1. This swimming event used freestyle swimming, which means that the method of the stroke is not regulated. Nearly all swimmers use the front crawl or a variant of that stroke. Because an Olympic size swimming pool is 50 metres long, this race consisted of eight lengths of the pool.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Rick DeMont". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 17, 2020.
  2. ↑ Neil Amdur, "Of Gold and Drugs," The New York Times (September 4, 1972). Retrieved March 16, 2015.
  3. 1 2 "Rick DeMont (USA)". ISHOF.org. International Swimming Hall of Fame.[ dead link ]
  4. ↑ Dan Patrick, "DeMont redeemed after 29 years," ESPN.com (December 6, 2001). Retrieved March 16, 2015.
  5. ↑ Associated Press, "Better late than never," Sports Illustrated (January 30, 2001). Archived February 3, 2014; retrieved March 16, 2015.
  6. ↑ ArizonaWildcats.com, Swimming and Diving, Coaches, Rick DeMont. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
Records
Preceded by Men's 1,500-meter freestyle
world record-holder
August 6 – September 4, 1972		Succeeded by
Preceded by Men's 400-meter freestyle
world record-holder
September 9, 1973 – August 22, 1974		Succeeded by
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.