When I was back in New Zealand recently, there seemed to be an inordinately high number of people on the street that look like Danyon Loader. Everywhere I went there would be a look-alike sipping on a coffee or standing at a zebra crossing. After some discussion it became clear that these Danyon doppelganger sightings were not just restricted to NZ; Australia, too, seems to be a hotbed of sightings of the former swimming ace.
So it was with Loader in mind that the question – and more generally a premise – came to me: was he the last man to win a blue riband swimming event in Speedos? For those that aren’t aware, Danyon Loader finished the 1996 Olympics with two gold medals, winning the 200 and 400 freestyle events. And he did it in your run of the mill, tog-style Speedos. Well played, Dan.
He could be seen as something of a hero of a forgotten era; a throwback star. So who are the other throwback stars worth celebrating now, in the event that I never refer this far back in history again? Consider tennis. Who was the last man to win a slam with the old wooden racquet? Or the last bare-knuckle boxing champ? And what about the last man to score a ton with no helmet?
At East London Invitational, respect for what has gone before is paramount so that we can appreciate what will take place in future. So with that in mind, let’s all appreciate some past legends who were there when the baton changed hands. Loader was immense in the second season of Dancing With the Stars (NZ Edition) finishing as the second runner up in a stacked field that included Rodney Hide and Beatrice Faumuina.
But arguably his greatest triumph came in the pool. His classic Speedos carried him through a memorable couple of weeks at the 26th Olympiad earning him the 1996 Halberg Award to go along with his two gold medals. Quite an achievement considering four years later in Sydney, people wore full body suits and their times certainly weren’t suffering. By now Danyon had faded away and Speedos as we knew them, had gone with him. Shame.
1983 was a good vintage. Not only was Thriller well on the way to becoming the greatest album of all time (by sales and sheer quality), but a Frenchman by the name of Yannick Noah won at Roland Garros. Significant was this achievement, not just because he was the last Frenchman to do so, but because it was also the last time a tennis player won anything of note with a wooden racket. Kudos to that. If you looked this good, why change the winning formula, right? Unfortunately he didn’t and was knocked out in the quarters the following year. Nevertheless… (Meanwhile, for all those trainspotters, Chris Lewis – the 16th seed – lost in the first round that year).
In the current era of sportsmen trying to become billionaires, it’s easy to forget from who they took their cues. Who, for example, could name the first American athlete to earn over a million dollars? According to Wikipedia, that man was John Lawrence Sullivan, also known as the Boston Strong Boy. Boston John’s other claim to fame is that he is generally recognized as the first heavyweight champion of gloved boxing, as well as the last bare-knuckle heavyweight boxing champion. Pretty good things to have on your CV to be fair.
Some wildly impressive stats from JL: his 1889 fight against Jake Kilrain (the last bare-knuckle title fight) lasted 75 out of the scheduled 80 rounds; in this bout Sullivan was thought to be toast when he vomited in the 44th round, but amazingly got his second wind and only 31 rounds later, he emerged victorious; and Sullivan was said to be the inspiration behind Long Johns, since the tight trouser in which he boxed resembled underpants. So credit to John for being the guy that made everyone want to stop fighting without gloves.
Finally I’d like to bring to the fore a personal hero; a man revered by cricket fans the world over. He may not have been the last man to score a century with no helmet – this is hard to define, since players might call for the floppy or the cap if the spinners are tweaking – but he was certainly the most prominent member of that club. And if there was to be a non-helmet XI, he would without doubt be its captain, number 3 and its first slip. Clearly I’m chatting Richie Richardson. Richie was a naturally laid back sort of guy who paved the way for the likes of Chris Gayle. Flamboyant in approach and fearless in demeanour, Richardson always preferred the wide brim Chappell hat to the helmet – in fact it’s hard to ever remember him wearing a helmet – as he would swivel on his back foot and pull and hook the quicks all over the ground. Quality.
As a student of the classical eras, times when elders and ancestors were held in the highest regard, I thought it fitting to lead off by pouring a libation for these champions. Now we can move on to the meaningful business of current sport. Thanks fellas.
