Neil Brooks (born July 27, 1962) is an Australian sprint freelance swimmer famous for winning a 4 x 100m relay relay in the 1980 Olympics in Moscow as part of Secretly Confident. Quartet . Brooks is also known for his swimming achievements as he conducts disciplinary incidents. He often finds himself in conflict with officials and is threatened with sanctions. His international career ended when he was suspended for drinking 46 cans of beer on a flight back to Australia after the 1986 Commonwealth Games. In retirement, he became a news presenter and sports commentator, but was fired amid alcohol problems.
Born in England, Brooks emigrated to Australia as a toddler and began swimming lessons after nearly drowning in a childhood accident. Having been initially known for lack of technique, Brooks quickly rose through the youth ranks. Brooks made his debut at the Australian Championships in 1976, but it was not until 1979 that he attended national school and made his debut for Australia in FINA (International Federation of Football) Swimming Pool World. In 1980, he became famous for breaking the Australian record in the 100m freestyle and invited to the national team camp. There he made his first clash with officials, walking out after accusing officials of ignoring him. He then qualified for the Australian team for the 1980 Moscow Olympics, opposing political pressure to boycott the Games after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Arriving in Moscow, the experience of Brooks in the 100m freestyle is an unpleasant one, suffering from an asthma attack and a final loss. His swimming career peak came in a 4 hour medley relay, as he captured and passed Sergey Kopliakov of the Soviet Union during anchor foot to seal a narrow victory for Australia. This victory remains the only time the United States does not win Olympic-level events.
After the Olympics, Brooks was expelled from the Australian Institute of Sport by Don Talbot for disciplinary reasons. He received a swimming scholarship at the University of Arkansas, where he enjoyed a more liberal standard of discipline. He returned to Australia for the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane and once again aroused the anger of officials during the preparatory training camp. After lobbying to improve accommodation conditions, Brooks engages physical squabbling with the team manager. As a result, he was given a suspension that came into effect after the Commonwealth Games. However, his teammates protested and threatened to get out, so the ban was lifted. Despite the turbulent preparations, Brooks successfully met, won the freestyle 100m and stuffed freestyle and medley 4th from 100m freestyle to the gold medal. Brooks competed in his second Olympics in Los Angeles in 1984, where he won silver medals in the freestyle relay 4 and 100 meters and bronze for swimming heats up the medley relay. Brooks international career ended at the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh with silver in the 100m freestyle and gold in the freestyle relay. Brooks retired after being suspended for his drinking party during the trip home. He later became a swimming commentator but was dismissed in 1998 after a disciplinary incident.
Video Neil Brooks
Initial years
An only child, Brooks was born in Crewe, England, before migrating to Western Australia when she was four, along with working-class parents, Mick and Norah. His first aquatic adventure was almost the last one for him. Aged seven, he played with a friend on the banks of the Swan River as they climbed into a boat that drifted deeper into the water and upside down. Brooks had to cling to the boat when his friend swam ashore to seek help. Her parents immediately enrolled her in a swim lesson at the Marylands Swim Club. Shortly after, he turned to Kevin Duff, who trained him for the next fifteen years. After just six weeks under Duff, Brooks came third in 50m breaststroke in the State Age Championship. Despite training people like Olympic medalists Kevin O'Halloran, Lyn McClements, David Dickson and Lynne Watson, Duff is virtually unknown outside of Western Australia. Brooks is known for his rebellious nature, and has a brilliant judgment from his coach, with the opinion that "He is not as pushy as many other Australian coaches and he is not in Australian swimming politics".
Brooks attended Hale Elementary School and trained at Beatty Park Pool, routinely dominating the State Age Championships. He won bronze in the 100m and 200m backstroke, and silver in the 200m freestyle at the 1974 Australian Championship. Due to his lack of style, he was known during his elementary years as "Basher Brooks", but by the time he entered High School Over Churchlands, the strokes have become technically smoother. Nevertheless, he was always confident in his mental ability, stating "before I swam with guts, now I have strokes and also guts." I've always been the toughest kid in the race. "
At the age of 13, Brooks suffered a loss of self-confidence. Having won four strokes over the past four years, he has now lost a lot. The other kids grew bigger in their early teens and he struggled to match them. Within a year, Brooks's physical growth began to catch up and he started regaining his dominant position. He also switched remotely to the sprint event.
Maps Neil Brooks
National debut
In 1976, at the age of 13, Brooks competed in his first open Australian championship but did not get the podium and thus failed the team selection for the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. That same year, the Australian team came to Perth for a pre-Olympic training camp and was housed in the homes of members of the local swiming community. The Brooks family took his future teammate Mark Tonelli, who has a reputation for being undisciplined. Brooks, however, was inspired by Tonelli and referred to him as a major motivating factor in himself who wanted to become an Olympian.
During the 1976-77 season, Brooks became famous as a possible Australian sprinter representative. He broke six records in winning two events at the 1977 Western Australia Championships. He swam the 100m freestyle at 56.56s, breaking the country record for 14, 15, and 16 years, before repeating his achievements in the 200m backstroke. Still 14, he competed in his second Australian Championship and finished fourth in the 100m freestyle. In 1978, he came third in the 100m freestyle and missed the selection for the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, Canada by 0.03s. He spent the rest of the year training and studying accounting at Leederville Technical College. During the year, Brooks set the record of the Australian age group in an individual 200 m medley, 200 m backstroke and 100 m freestyle. At the first Australian Short Course championship in Launceston, Tasmania in 1979, he won silver in an individual medley of 200m and bronze in the 100m freestyle. His performance earned him the first time in the Australian team, competing in the FINA World Cup event in Tokyo in April 1979, 16 and nine months old.
Age 17, Brooks swam 51.91 in Perth in January 1980, breaking the Australian record Tonelli in the 100m freestyle. As a result, he was invited to his first national training camp under Bill Sweetenham for aspiring Olympic swimmers. He had the first of many clashes with sports administrators, first claiming that officials did not want him to ride with the Tonelli family and then declare that Sweetenham only trained him two or three times, which he felt was not enough. Brooks came out of the camp and returned to Perth to train under Duff. At the Australian Championships, 100 m is seen as a clash between Tonelli and Brooks. The latter is second in the 100m freestyle, being replaced by stage by stage by Tonelli, who retook his national record in 51.80 seconds. As a result, Brooks was selected in both individual shows and 4 hour relay 100 m.
However, another obstacle arose with the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, resulting in an Olympic boycott by most of the Western World, led by the United States. Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser is also the guardian of the Australian Olympic Committee, and significant political pressure appears on the athletes to boycott the Games. However, Tonelli realizes that only a sportsman will suffer a boycott and that trade relations will continue. He takes a leadership role among athletes to fight for their right to compete.
Moscow Olympics
Relic relay 4 x 100 m is the focal point of the Brooks Moscow campaign and it comes just two days before its 18th birthday. This event has always been won by the United States since it was founded at the Olympic level in 1960, and their boycott has opened the field in the event. In five times the event was held, Australia's best result was silver in the inaugural race. A bronze in 1964 was the only other medal success and the 1976 edition of the medley relay had seen Australia crashing out of heat. This time, Australia is regarded as a medal opportunity, but is not seen as a major threat; Sweden, England and the Soviet Union are the most sought after teams. The hosts boasted a silver medal in the 100 meters backstroke and breaststroke, and their butterflies came fifth; Their freestyler will occupy the fourth position a few days later. Britain has Duncan Goodhew, a gold medalist on the chest, while Swedish butterflies and backstrokes have won their respective events and their freestyle swimmers will be second in 100m. On paper, the Australian team paled on comparison. Peter Evans is the only individual medalist more than 100 m race, claiming bronze in the style of the chest. Mark Kerry has been eliminated in the backstroke semi-finals, while Tonelli swims as a butterfly, despite having performed better than Kerry in the 100m backstroke. Adding to the pressure was the fact that Australia had not won a gold medal in the 1976 Olympics in any sport, and had not won in Moscow, so the public was still awaiting their first win since Munich in 1972. Coming to the Olympics, Australia ranks seventh of thirteen competing nations. The Australian outlook improved after the morning in which Sweden was disqualified. Tonelli, the oldest quartet swimmer at the age of 23, assembled the team as the de facto leader. He asks his team-mates to commit to swim their feet in a certain time; Kerry vowed to swim backstroke in the 57s, Evans chest style in flat 63, Tonelli butterfly at 54 and Brooks promised to anchor the team at 49.8 s, though he has never gone faster than the 51s. Tonelli named the foursome as Quietly Confident Quartet, and they showed quiet confidence as they marched for the race.
Kerry took the lead in quicker time than he did in individual events, but it was still two seconds slower than his personal best time of 57.87 seconds. It left Australia in fourth place by the end of the first leg. Evans then swam his personal best 63.01 s, leaving the team almost on par with the host nation on the half mark. Tonelli then swam his feet in 54.94 seconds, almost two seconds faster than his previous best. He did it with uneven arm techniques because of the difference in the strength of his arm. He started to lose ground in the last 50m and was the body power behind until the final spurt took him into yards from the lead at the end of his feet. Brooks then made a strong and timely dive and appeared almost even with his Soviet counterpart. At the half mark, he has leveled up and made a superior turn to lead. Soviet freestyler Kopliakov drew level on the 25m mark before Brooks ran back to seal Australia's win by 0.22s. He did not breathe in the last ten yards, and confessed to laughing for the last five yards, convinced that his opponent could not get through it. The Australian has completed his leg at 49.86 as he has sworn to his teammate. Time 3m 45.70 sealed Australia's first win in the medley relay at the Olympics, for men or women. Brooks dedicated the team's victory to his mother, who had died of cancer the previous Christmas. Upon his return to Australia, he was welcomed as a hero, but he considered retiring because of his desire to succeed after his victory in Moscow. In 2000, Brooks and other quartet members were each awarded the Australian Sports Medal for their victory in Moscow.
In an individual event, which occurred after the relay, Brooks came in first in heat with Per Perianianson bronze medalist from Sweden in 52.11 s. This made him the seventh quickest for the semi-final, but he suffered a severe asthma attack and had to be hospitalized. He swims the semifinals regardless, despite having a heartbeat before the start of the 120 race, compared to the usual 72. He finished seventh in 52.70s, who saw him 14th place, losing the final with 0.83.
US college career
Brooks suffered from lack of motivation after the Olympics. He was recruited to the Australian Institute of Sport by training coaches Bill Sweetenham and Dennis Pursley, but his stay was short. Initial director Don Talbot, former head coach of the Australian swimming team, drove him out of indiscipline. He then won the 1981 Australian title in the 100m freestyle without training, but his time of 52.61 was substantially slower than his personal best. Brooks then received a scholarship to go to the University of Arkansas to train under the guidance of Sam Freas. He enjoys a more liberal culture within the American college system, particularly the relationship between swimmers and their coaches. He enjoys the less paternalistic treatment the coach gives to their swimmers, saying that "In Australia, after the race they want to lock you in your room.In America, you can share a beer after meeting the coach." The shortcourse pool used in the United States was played at the hands of Brooks, because his strong legs gave him an advantage in pushing away from the turns, which came twice as often as the longcourse pool (50 m). He originally planned to stay in the United States only for a year, but decided to extend his stay a year, having enjoyed the high frequency of racing and recognition given to the university athletes in the United States. In both years, he won 50 m and 100 m freestyle doubles at the Southwest Conference, and fourth in the 100m freestyle at the 1981 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championships. He also came second in the 100m freestyle at the AACC Championship to Rowdy Gaines, who later won the event at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
Despite its success in America, the Australian Swimming Union did not offer to finance home for Brooks for the 1982 Australian Championship, but the University of Arkansas paid the fee as a reward for his performance in a college competition. Despite failing to defend his 100m title, he qualified for the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane. The team then went to a five-week training camp on the outskirts of Sydney South Coogee by the beach. The team lived in a migrant dorm, which at that time was occupied by Vietnamese refugees from the Vietnam War. Brooks talked about the quality of the accommodation, leading the officials to make improvements.
Suspension short for disciplinary reasons and 1982 Commonwealth Games
Brooks's protests against the accommodation were overshadowed by the much publicized physical confrontation with a team official. He called his coach in the United States to make arrangements for the return trip to complete the Commonwealth Games. Due to the time zone difference, he made a call after the team curfew, prompting team manager Jeff Hare to try to disconnect. After Hare threatened to expel him from the team, Brooks lost patience and pinned the manager to the wall. The swimmer was summoned to a meeting with ASU officials the following day, where he remained unconverted. He received a one-month ban, effective after the end of the Commonwealth Games. Brooks demanded that if ASU would suspend it, they would have to do it soon for the Commonwealth Games, rather than let him compete and win a medal before punishing him. His complaints about the condition of the training have gained the attention of his teammates, and some senior swimmers threaten to leave if he is banned. Ultimately, ASU cancels the suspension. Brooks remains highly critical of bureaucratic swimming behavior, claiming that "too many officials expect obedience without asking", calling for the formation of swim committees.
Arriving in Brisbane for the Commonwealth Games, Brooks and some friends ran shaved their heads, something that got a lot of attention from the people of Australia. He won the heat from the 100m freestyle on the Commonwealth and Commonwealth Games records at 51.09. He swam more slowly in the final, but his time was 51.14 s enough to secure a gold medal in a close contest. Only 0.43 alone separated it and silver and silver medalists Greg Fasala and Michael Delany, both from Australia.
Brooks then won gold as part of a freestyle 4'ÃÆ'â € "100m freestyle relay, tethering Fasala, Delany and Graeme Brewer teams to victory for almost three seconds, putting it within 50.56 seconds. The bald headed quartet is dubbed the Mean Machine . He collected another gold in the medley relay, joined David Orbell, Evans and Jon Sieben, this time finishing his freestyle leg anchor at 50.44s. Canada has completed the race far ahead of Australia, but was disqualified for early changes. After the game, Brooks finishes the American college season before returning to Australia. He was crowned as a Western Australian sportsman this year.
Second Olympics
Brooks came to the 1984 Australian Championships as a favorite, but this time he was on the receiving end of a close result. He was third in the 100m freestyle behind Mark Stockwell and Delany, who lost individual selection by 0.05s. The trio were separated by a total of only 0.15 s. Chosen as a relay swimmer, he traveled to Los Angeles in hopes of winning the 4'ÃÆ'â € "100m freestyle relay, an event always won by the United States.
During the heats, Australian team Brooks, Fasala, Delany and Stockwell showed their intention to reject American gold for the first time at the Olympic level. Withdrawn with America in the third and final heat, Australia set a new Olympic record 3m 19.94 s. Brooks took the lead in the heat, set a time of 50.36 seconds, before Stockwell made a 0.41 s deficit over the anchor foot to beat the hosts by.20s. Australia and the United States have branded their authority at the event, with qualification almost four seconds ahead of Sweden in third place. However, the Americans have more speed in reserve, after resting 200m of free silver medalist Mike Heath and 100m freestyle gold medalist Rowdy Gaines, while Australia use his full-strength team.
In the final, Australian coach Terry Buck replaced the swim sequence, placing Fasala as the main leg, while the Americans brought Heath and Gaines. Fasala's time of 51.00 puts the second Australian on the first change, behind the Americans, for whom Chris Cavanaugh has built a 0.17 lead. After the first leg, the race is still close - 0.90s separates all teams. Brooks finished his leg in 49.36 seconds, the fourth fastest in the race, 0.24 ahead of his American counterpart Heath, giving Australia a slick 0.07 lead at the halfway point. Australia and the United States have seceded from the field, which is now the best part of two seconds in arrears. However, Australia's leadership was short-lived. Matt Biondi took 0.59 from Delany and Gaines took 0.13 more from Stockwell, as the United States won in a world record time of 3m 19.03 s. Australia lags 0.65 with Sweden with a further 2.99 in arrears. Brooks insisted that he or Stockwell should lead, stating that "gold is there for taking."
Brooks collected bronze in the medley relay after swimming freestyle feet in the heats before being replaced by first choice Stockwell in the final. Competing in the third and final heat, Australia and the United States alike on the last change before Brooks posted the fastest freestyle foot in the heat, pulling a 0.40 margin over Tom Jager. Australia again qualified fastest, but the Americans again had more reserves, having rested all their first-choice quartets in the heat. Stockwell combined with Kerry, Evans and Glenn Buchanan to finish behind the United States and Canada in the final, losing silver by just 0.02. Australia increased at the time of their qualification by just 0.68 seconds, while the Americans drove by 5.03 s.
In 1985, Brooks died-warming up with Stockwell in the 100m freestyle at the Australian Championships, clocking a time of 51.12 s. He later joined Tom Stachewicz, Paul Lee and Barry Armstrong, as Western Australia won the 4'ÃÆ'â € "100m freestyle relay for the first time. Brooks retained his form and despite not defending his 100m Australian title, was selected for the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, where he came second to Fasala in the 100m freestyle in 51.01s. He claimed gold in the freestyle relay 4 × 100 m along with Fasala, Stockwell and Matthew Renshaw, who tethered the quartet in setting the Commonwealth Games record. On a return flight, he consumed 46 cans of beer and was banned for six months after he spoke about the incident during a television interview. In his memoirs, Talbot, a non-drinker, called Brooks and his associates at Mean Machine as one of the greatest supporters of the hard drinking culture that had swept through the Australian swimming world at the time. In particular, he selected Brooks as the focal point of disturbing activity during his time at the Australian Institute of Sport. Talbot sees alcohol as the main reason behind Australia's fall in the swimming world in the 1970s and an uncompetitive international prolonged period in the 1980s.
After swimming
Brooks retired thereafter, moved to Nambour, Queensland and started a rock group called The Union . He plays an electric guitar, and also writes his own music and songs. He also represents Western Australia in water polo and indoor cricket and plays Australian football rules at the district level.
After graduating from the University of Arkansas with a degree in journalism in 1985, Brooks entered the media. Before his graduation, he had been a cadet on Seven Network in Perth for five years, reading the sports segment on the weekday evening news. He was a television commentator at the 1988 Summer Olympics, 1992, and 1996. In addition to covering pools and water polo, he also commented on volleyball and in 1998, he summoned declining skiers at the Nagano Winter Olympics. In the country, Brooks called the Australian Football League match and read the sports segment on the weekday news for Seven Network. For three years, he hosted the Brooksy Footy Show, a West Australian travel/leisure event called Wild West , and ahead of the Sydney Olympics, held with The Games with Tracey Holmes.
However, Brooks's career began to unravel in the late 1990s. He became addicted to alcohol, which led to a series of incidents on display. He once reads the sports news segment when drunk, and then engages in a drunken debate with the rules of Australian football Network Nine Network Sam Newman. In early 1999, Seven suspended Brooks from screen assignment for six weeks after he commented that they were considered "bland and offensive". In an interview with a magazine not authorized by Seven, Brooks was asked what he was most eagerly anticipating at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, and replied "The After Olympics piss-up". He was eventually dismissed, denying him a chance to comment on the swim show and spend his annual salary of AUD700,000.
At the end of 2000, Brooks was declared bankrupt by the Federal Court in Perth after failing to pay the $ 14,941.64 A $ credit to BankWest. In May 2001, police raided the Brooks home in Perth and found a tarry mill plant. Brooks claimed that the plant belonged to a friend, and then announced that he would leave the country. After moving to South Australia in 2003, Brooks started Local , which he called the state's leading lifestyle magazine. The business is run solely by him and his wife, and is dominated by advertising. Journalist Peter FitzSimons criticized the lack of grammar and copyediting exams, citing quotations from Kieren Perkins, which was later translated in the publication: "I am over the moon Winning is something you try, but when I consider all the factors being married, two twenty-seven children years of competition in my third game and I broke fifteen minutes twice in two days it was really incredible and whatever way you cut it, Grant Hackett is just the next generation of swimmers. "Brooks stands 200 cm and weighs 95 kg during his career, but in the early 21st century struggled against obesity, after ballooning up to 150 kg. In 2007, he lost considerable weight and struggled to overcome his alcohol problem.
Brooks later became a partner at Nitro Energy Drink Company, involved in motorsport sponsorship. However, the company is experiencing financial difficulties and he falls with his business associates. In 2009, Brooks was removed from the board of directors and the company was put into administration, and he and his former colleagues have begun legal proceedings.
Brooks's first marriage was with Lynette Quinlivan in January 1985. Their son, Luke, is a member of Australia's water polo team, playing as a goalkeeper. In 2000, he married his third wife Elle.
On October 13, 2017, Linda Brooks was arrested in Perth after returning from Bali. A request for extradition to Queensland was granted. The police there wanted to question him on suspicion of fraud in 2008 relating to his sportswear company director. They also want to ask her husband, Neil. On Nov. 13, he is scheduled to arrive at Brisbane's judge court.
See also
- List of Commonwealth Games medalists in swimming (men)
- List of Olympic medals in swimming (men)
Note
References
Andrews, Malcolm (2000). Australia at the Olympics . Sydney, New South Wales: ABC Book. ISBNÃ, 0-7333-0884-8External links
- Neil Brooks on IMDb
Source of the article : Wikipedia