Murray Rose obit

 

Olympic swimming legend Murray Rose dies after cancer fight

FOUR-time Olympic gold medal winner dies after losing cancer fight at the age of 73.

He was not on the list.

MURRAY Rose was being hailed as one the greatest swimmers of all time and an Australian Olympic legend following his death today after a battle with leukaemia.

The four-time Olympic gold medallist died in Sydney this morning, aged 73, having been ill for several months and his passing was met by a flood of tributes from the wider Australian sporting community.

Rose emerged as a national hero after winning three gold medals at the 1956 Olympics - in the 4x200m freestyle relay, the 400m freestyle and the 1500m freestyle - all at the age of 17.

He followed up in 1960 in Rome, retaining his 400m freestyle crown and winning a silver medal behind fellow Australian John Konrads in the 1500m.

Konrads led the tributes today, saying Rose's achievements in the amateur era meant he should be considered among the sport's greatest athletes.

"Murray Rose was certainly one of the greatest of all time," Konrads said.

"There's Mark Spitz in the sprints and so on and now Michael Phelps, but they're short distance swimmers in the professional era.

"I think, taking into consideration the amateur era, Murray was the greatest of all time."

Konrads said the pair had been rivals until forming a long-standing friendship at the Rome Games.

Rose did not compete at the 1964 Tokyo Games as he was not allowed to compete in trials in the US where he was studying, and Konrads believed he would have captured another gold medal in the 1500m in Japan had he competed.

Rose was patron of the Rainbow Club Australia, which provides swimming lessons for mentally and physically disabled children.

Rob Lloyd, of the Rainbow Club, said Rose contributed enormously to helping disabled children.

"His largest contribution was the real passion he put into his work for the children," Mr Lloyd said.

Later in his life, Rose was a passionate ocean swimmer.

"In 2008 Murray combined his two passions and worked with the Rainbow Club to create the Malabar Magic Ocean swim which now has approximatley 1000 swimmers each year and raises over $40,000 for the children," Mr Lloyd said.

"Murray was a great man with a big heart. He connected with the children and always worked tirelessly putting his soul into the work."

Mr Lloyd said the Malabar Magic will be renamed in Murray's honour.

"Murray Rose's Malabar Magic will continue to grow and be a reminder of the great charity work of Murray Rose," he said.

In 1958 he appeared on You Bet Your Life where he was baffled by the world geography questions. On 6 January 1959, Rose appeared as a guest challenger on the TV panel show To Tell the Truth.

He made his acting debut in the 1962 Australian live drama My Three Angels.

Later he starred in the 1964 surf movie Ride the Wild Surf and in Ice Station Zebra in 1968. He also made periodic appearances in television and film including guest spots on Dr Kildare, You Bet Your Life, The Patty Duke Show, Dream Rider, Time Capsule 1932 and Time Capsule 1938.

 

Filmography

Year     Title            Role            Notes

1964    Ride the Wild Surf            Swag   

1968    Ice Station Zebra            Lt. George Mills    

1993            Dreamrider      Father OGorman        

2003            Swimming Upstream            Reporter #3