Roles | Competed in Olympic Games |
---|---|
Sex | Male |
Full name | George•Park |
Used name | George•Park |
Born | 19 May 1933 in Hamilton, Ontario (CAN) |
Died | 26 May 2019 in Delta, British Columbia (CAN) |
Affiliations | Hamilton Aquatic Club, Hamilton (CAN) |
NOC | Canada |
George Park had a successful international swimming career during the mid-1950s, beginning with a second-place finish in the 4x220 yards relay at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, alongside Allen Gilchrist, Gerry McNamee, and the non-Olympian Ted Simpson. This quartet took bronze at the Pan American Games the following year in the 4x200 metres freestyle relay, with Park also capturing silver in the 100 metres freestyle. His next stop was the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, where he was eliminated in the opening rounds of the 100 metres freestyle and the 200 metres butterfly. He was also scheduled to compete in the 400 metres freestyle, but did not start. He capped his career with a silver medal in the 4x110 yards medley relay at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, with Robert Wheaton, Kenneth Williams, and the non-Olympian Peter W. Bell. Park was also eliminated in the heats of the 110 yards freestyle, an event in which he had come fourth in 1954.
After having set Canadian national records in freestyle and butterfly sprint distances, Park turned professional soon after the 1958 tournament and had a marathon swimming career that lasted until 1968. He then established swimming schools in Ontario and also taught the sport in Mexico. He was made a member of the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame in 1978, alongside his brother Tom (1968) and sister Margaret (2000).
Games | Discipline (Sport) / Event | NOC / Team | Pos | Medal | As | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1956 Summer Olympics | Swimming (Aquatics) | CAN | George Park | |||
100 metres Freestyle, Men (Olympic) | 17 | |||||
400 metres Freestyle, Men (Olympic) | ||||||
200 metres Butterfly, Men (Olympic) | 15 |