Bob Windle

Infobox Swimmer
swimmername = Bob Windle


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fullname = Robert George Windle
nicknames =
nationality = AUS
strokes = Freestyle
club =
collegeteam = Indiana University
birthdate =birth date and age|df=yes|1944|11|07
birthplace =Waverley, New South Wales, Australia
deathdate =
deathplace =
height =
weight =
medaltemplates =MedalTop

Robert "Bob" George Windle (born 7 November 1944 in Sydney) was an Australian sprint and long distance freestyle swimmer of the 1960s, who won the gold medal in the 1500 m freestyle and the bronze medal in relay at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, and the silver and bronze medals in relay at the following olympic games. Known for his versatility, he represented Australia at all freestyle distances at the Olympics from 100 m to 1500 m; the only Australian male to do so, winning medals in both the shortest and longest distances at Olympic level. Windle set six world records over his career, won six Commonwealth Games golds and 19 Australian Championships in all distances from 220 yd up to 1650 yd.

Windle's first major athletic competition appearance was at 15 years of age at the 1960 Australian Championships. His second place finish there in the 1650 yd freestyle earned him a spot on the Australian swimming team at the 1960 Summer Olympics held in Rome. However, he was only taken along to gain experience and did not compete. He won his first national title in 1961 and won the 220–440–1650–yd treble in 1962. Windle made his international debut at the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Perth, winning gold in the 4 × 220 yd freestyle and silver and bronze in the 440 and 880 yd freestyle events respectively. In 1963, he won four national titles, adding the 880 yd event to his three successful title defences. He won three titles in 1964 and proceeded to the Tokyo Olympics, where he was eliminated in the heats of the 400 m freestyle after attempting to save energy for the final. Disappointed, he took an aggressive approach in the 1500 m and set Olympic records in the heats and final to win gold. He also took bronze in the 4 × 100 m freestyle relay at the same games.

After the Olympics, Windle enrolled at Indiana University, where Doc Counsilman became his swimming coach. While in the United States, Windle converted from distance swimming to sprinting. He competed in the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Kingston, Jamaica, winning the 440 yd freestyle in world record time, as well as both the 4 × 110 yd and 4 × 220 yd freestyle relays in world record times. He returned for his second Olympics in Mexico City in 1968, competing in the 100 m and 200 m freestyle and the corresponding relays, having completed his transition to sprinting. He won a bronze and silver in the respective relays and retired after the Games.

Early years

Growing up in the Sydney suburb of Waverley, he learnt to swim at Bronte Beach with his sister Norma. His family later relocated to Bexley North, where he swam for his school team at Marist College Kogarah, and was coached by Frank Guthrie at the Enfield pool at the age of 12. After a fortnight of training, he entered the an Age Group Championships and placed in the top three. From there on he began training three or four times a week and his father drove him to Enfield for morning training. By the age of fifteen, he had stepped up his training to a daily basis.

A turning point for Windle was the 1960 Australian Championships, when he came second in the 1650 yd freestyle behind John Konrads and was selected for the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. He dropped out of high school to attend a three-month training camp in Queensland with the Australian swimming team. He did not swim in Rome, with team officials wanting him merely to learn from the routine and atmosphere of Olympic swimming.Andrews, pp. 465–466.] On his return to Australia, he switched to the tutelage of Don Talbot, who was also Konrads' coach.Gordon, p. 257.]

Talbot referred to Windle as the "greyhound" due to his thin and angular build. Talbot said that Windle was the most thinly built elite swimmer that Talbot had worked with, and had great trouble in trying to increase Windle's frame. Talbot motivated Windle and instilled him with a greater level of self belief. For his part, Windle responded by increasing his workload, and was regarded as Talbot's most diligent student.

Maiden national title and international medals

Windle won the 1500 m at the 1961 Australian Championships in a time of 17 m 37.7 s to claim his maiden Australian title at the age of 16, before showing his versatility the following year, when he won the 220 yd, 440 yd and 1650 yd freestyle events at the National Championships, in times of 2 m 2.9 s, 4 m 25.0 s and 17 m 53.3 s respectively. He also anchored the New South Wales team to victory in the 4 × 220 m freestyle relay.Howell, p. 176.] Selected for the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games on home soil in Perth, he won silver and bronze in the 1650 yd and 440 yd freestyle events respectively, both won by Murray Rose, who had returned from competition in the United States college system. Rose comfortably won the 1650 yd event, finishing in 17 m 18.1 s, with Windle 26.4 s behind. In the 440 yd event, Rose finished in a time of 4 m 20.0 s,Howell, p. 114.] 3.1 s ahead of third-placed Windle. Windle also won gold in the 4 × 220 yd freestyle relay, along with Rose, Allan Wood and Anthony Strahan.Howell, p. 174.]

After the Games, Rose returned to the United States, and at the 1963 Australian Championships, Windle won the 220 yd, 440 yd, 880 yd and 1650 yd freestyle events in times of 2 m 2.8 s, 4 m 23.0 s, 9 m 10.5 s and 17 m 59.6 s respectively. His quest of sweeping all the freestyle vents failed when he was narrowly defeated in a tocuh finish in the 110 yd event by David Dickson. Windle also collected wins along with New South Wales in the 4 × 220 yd freestyle relay and the 4 × 110 yd freestyle relay, anchoring both quartets.

He set world records in the 200 m and 220 yd freestyle that year, posting times of 2 m 0.3 s and 2 m 1.1 s. Windle's winning Australian Championships results were repeated at the 1964 edition, where he won the 200 m, 400 m and 1500 m freestyle titles in times of 2 m 0.0 s, 4 m 17.6 s and 17 m 9.4 s respectively. The competition was held over metric distances during an Olympic year, in conformance with Olympic standards. Windle was a member of all three New South Wales relay teams as they won the 400 m and 800 m freestyle and 400 m medley relays.Howell, p. 175.]

Olympic gold

Windle's performances qualified him for the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, where he was slated to swim four events; the 400 m and 1500 m freestyle and the 4 × 100 m and 4 × 200 m freestyle relays. Windle's first event was the 4 × 100 m freestyle relay, where he combined with Dickson, Peter Doak, and John Ryan to win their heat in a time of 3 m 40.6 s, a time which lagged behind the United States' winning heat time by 1.8 s. Windle anchored the team as Australia came from second at the halfway point. This meant that the Australians were the second fastest qualifier for the finals. However, in the final, the United States improved their time by a further 5.6 s while Australia could only improve their time to 3 m 39.1 s, leaving them with the bronze behind the Americans and Germans. Australia were second from the start, until Germany moved into the silver medal position by 0.1 s at the last change. A distance swimmer, Windle could not keep up with his German anchorman counterpart, and Australia fell to 1.9 s in arrears by the end of the race.cite web |url=http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1964/SWI/mens-4-x-100-metres-freestyle-relay.html |title=Swimming at the 1964 Tokyo Summer Games:Men's 4 × 100 metres Freestyle Relay |publisher=Sports Reference |accessdate=2008-09-08]

In the 400 m freestyle heats, Windle made a misjudgement by not going flat out, swimming four seconds slower than his time at the Australian Championships in an attempt to conserve energy for the final. However, he swam too slowly and missed the final completely; although he won his heat by seven seconds in a time of 4 m 21.6 s, his time was the ninth fastest overall, so he missed the final by one position and 0.5 s.cite web |url=http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1964/SWI/mens-400-metres-freestyle.html |title=Swimming at the 1964 Tokyo Summer Games:Men's 400 metres Freestyle |publisher=Sports Reference |accessdate=2008-09-08] On the other hand, the other two Australian representatives who he had defeated at the national championships did make the final, including Wood, who went on to win bronze in the event.

In the 1500 m, Talbot decided that Windle would attack from the outset and attempt to hang on towards the latter stages. They also worked on Windle's technique, removing Windle's bad habit of dropping his elbow to a lower position when he was tired. He broke the Olympic record in the heats with a time of 17 m 15.9 s to qualify fastest for the final, more than six seconds faster than anybody else.cite web |url=http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1964/SWI/mens-1500-metres-freestyle.html |title=Swimming at the 1964 Tokyo Summer Games:Men's 1500 metres Freestyle |publisher=Sports Reference |accessdate=2008-09-08] In the final, Windle repeated the strategy, leading throughout to lower his own Olympic record to 17 m 1.7 s and holding off American John Nelson by 1.3 s.

Windle later combined with Wood, Ryan and Dickson in the 4 × 200 m freestyle relay final. Having rested Wood and Windle—Australia's two individual medallists—in the heats, Australia struggled to fourth in their heat and qualified slowest for the final. In the final, Australia were fourth when Windle dived in for the anchor leg, 3.7 s behind third-placed Japan. Windle posted a time of 1 m 58.7 s, the sixth fastest split in the race and the fastest Australian by 3.0 s. Although he cut 1.8 s from the Japanese anchor swimmer, it was not enough and Australia finished fourth, 1.9 s out of the medals.cite web |url=http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1964/SWI/mens-4-x-200-metres-freestyle-relay.html |title=Swimming at the 1964 Tokyo Summer Games:Men's 4 × 200 metres Freestyle Relay |publisher=Sports Reference |accessdate=2008-09-08]

US college career

After the Olympics, Windle enrolled at the Indiana University on a swimming scholarship, coached by Doc Counsilman, after getting advice from fellow Australian team-mate, Olympic gold medalist and Indiana student Kevin Berry. He studied Business at the same time. There he switched his focus to shorter sprint distances. Windle did not enjoy as much success in short-course swimming as much as in long-course swimming, and he cited the lack of enjoyment for switching to shorter distances, quipping "Why swim 30 laps for a gold, when you can get one for swimming two laps?" However, Windle enjoyed his time in the United States, enjoying the additional emphasis on relays and team spirit and the social life that it entailed. Windle also enjoyed learning from Counsilman, who was regarded as an expert in mechanics, which helped to improve his technique.

His performances in the United States were enough to earn him selection for the 1966 Commonwealth Games in Kingston, Jamaica. There he set a world record in the 440 yd freestyle in winning gold in a time of 4 m 15.0 s, but with his focus now on the shorter distances, only managed fourth in the 1650 yd freestyle with a time of 17 m 49.2 s, far outside his best for the distance. He won golds in the 4 × 110 yd freestyle relay with Ryan, Dickson and Michael Wenden and the 4 × yd freestyle with Wenden, Dickson and Peter Reynolds. The times of 3 m 35.6 s and 7 m 59.5 s respectively were world records for Australia.

International farewell

In 1968 he again returned to Australia for the National Championships, his first for four years. Although he did not win any individual events, he was a part of New South Wales' winning quartets in the 4 × 100 m and 4 × 200 m freestyle relays. Windle was appointed the captain of the men's swimming team for the Olympics, with selection for the 100 m and 200 m freestyle events and their respective relays, but not for the 1500 m freestyle, thereby ending his title defence before the team had reached Mexico City.

In the 100 m freestyle, Windle placed second in his heat in a time of 54.8 s, making him the sixth-fastest qualifier for the semifinals. He improved his time to 54.6 s in the semifinals, but this placed him only 11th and he missed the final by 0.5 s.cite web |url=http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1968/SWI/mens-100-metres-freestyle.html |title=Swimming at the 1968 Ciudad de México Summer Games:Men's 100 metres Freestyle |publisher=Sports Reference |accessdate=2008-09-08] In the 200 m freestyle, Windle placed second in his heat behind Wenden and scraped into the final by 0.3 s as the seventh fastest qualifier. He improved his time by 0.1 s in the final to finish sixth in 2 s 0.9 s.cite web |url=http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1968/SWI/mens-200-metres-freestyle.html |title=Swimming at the 1968 Ciudad de México Summer Games:Men's 200 metres Freestyle |publisher=Sports Reference |accessdate=2008-09-08] Wenden won both events.

In the 4 × 100 m freestyle, Windle combined with Wenden, Robert Cusack and Greg Rogers to win the bronze medal behind the United States and the Soviet Union. Australia used the same team and swimming order in both the heats and finals, with Windle doing the third leg. Australia cmae second in their heat behind the United States and qualified third, with the Soviet Union in second place. It was a similar story in the final, with Australia being third at every change. Despite Wenden recording the fastest split among all swimmers during his anchor leg, the Australians missed the silver medal by just 0.5 s.cite web |url=http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1968/SWI/mens-4-x-100-metres-freestyle-relay.html |title=Swimming at the 1968 Ciudad de México Summer Games:Men's 4 × 100 metres Freestyle Relay |publisher=Sports Reference |accessdate=2008-09-08] In the 4 × 200 m freestyle relay, Windle won a silver along with Wenden, Rogers and Graham White. The quartet won their heat and qualified fastest, with the Americans second with their second-choice team. However, with their full-strength team in the final, the Americans won by 1.4 s. Australia were 2.5 s behind at the halfway point of the race, but the Americans were able to hold on despite the gains made by Windle and Wenden in the last two legs.cite web |url=http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1968/SWI/mens-4-x-200-metres-freestyle-relay.html |title=Swimming at the 1968 Ciudad de México Summer Games:Men's 4 × 200 metres Freestyle Relay |publisher=Sports Reference |accessdate=2008-09-08] Gordon, p. 277.]

He retired after the Games, saying "I have swum to that point when I could hardly lift myself out of the water. I have seen John Konrads to that point also. I would always give 110%. There is no substitute for hard and honest work". Windle was usually regarded as the fittest and hard-working member of the swimming team. He stayed in the United States for a further few years, working for Allis-Chalmers, an agricultural equipment corporation. He later returned to Australia after being transferred to the Australian division of the firm's operations.Howell, p. 177.]

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