Richard Pound

Richard Pound

Quick Facts

Category: Swimmer
Name: Richard Pound
Club: MAA
Coach(es): George Gate

HIGHLIGHTS

1962 Commonwealth Games, Perth, Australia, Gold 110 yard Freestyle,
Silver 440 yard Freestyle, Silver 880 yard Freestyle, Bronze 440 yard Medley Relay

BIOGRAPHY

Born March 22, 1942 in St-Catharines, Ontario, Dick was one of Canada’s top sprint freestyle swimmers through this era. He acquired the foundation of his swimming skills from coach George Gate in Ocean Falls before moving to Montreal in 1957.

He competed at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome where he finished 6th in the 100m freestyle and 4th in the 4×100 medley relay His 6th place was the first final placing for Canada in this event since the 1920s and there yet to be another Canadian male finalist in the event since Pound’s performance in Rome. In 1961, he earned 4 national titles demonstrating his versatility in winning in different stroke events: 100 and 200yards freestyle, 40 yards IM and 100yards butterfly. The following year, he came back from the 1962 Commonwealth Games in Perth, Australia with 1 gold medal in the 110yards freestyle, 2 silver in the 440 and 880yards freestyle relay and 1 bronze in the 440yards medley relay.

After retiring from swimming, he accepted a role with the Canadian Olympic Committee and eventually became its president. He was inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame in 1975 and elected to the International Olympic Committee in 1978 where he was put in charge of negotiating television and sponsorship deals. Pound revolutionized the Olympic movement using such deals to transform the IOC into a multi-billion dollar enterprise.

Today Dick Pound is the former Chairman of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) based in Montreal. He is a former vice-president of the International Olympic Committee and was a one-time candidate for the presidency of the organization. In 2005, following the FINA World Aquatic Championships in Montreal, he was inducted into the British-Columbia Hall of Fame and was named one of the world’s 100 most influential people by Time magazine.