Murray Rose, Swimming Champ, Loses Battle With Leukemia

By Ivana Kvesic, Christian Post Reporter Monday, April 16, 2012

Australian swimming great Murray Rose died at the age of 73 on Sunday.

The Australian long distance swimmer and six-time Olympic medalist died in the early hours of Sunday morning in Sydney, Australia after a 3-month-long battle with leukemia.

"The name Murray Rose is synonymous with success in the sport of swimming, and his achievements in Melbourne in 1956 will go down as the stuff of legend," David Urquhart, president of Swimming Australia, told The Associated Press.

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Urquhart also said that Rose's success "inspired a generation" and said that the former swimmer is "part of the swimming DNA" of Australia.

Rose, who is considered by many to be one of the greatest swimmers of all time, won three gold metals at the age of 17 in the Melbourne Summer Olympic games in 1956, making him the youngest Olympian in any sport to win three gold metals.

He went on to compete in the 1960 Rome games and took home gold, silver, and bronze metals.

"I'm extremely sad at the passing of one of the greatest swimmers of all time and a great mate," said John Konrads, a friend and former competitor who beat Rose to win the gold metal for the 1,500 meters freestyle during the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome.

"Murray was one of those statesmen of Australian sport and it's almost beyond describing the impact that he had not only on swimming but Australian sport in general," swimmer Kieren Perkins said.

Rose was born in Nairn, Scotland in 1939. His family moved to Australia during WWII. He started swimming at a young age and eventually went on to swim at the University of Southern California where he served as the 1962 team captain. He graduated from USC with a B.A. in drama and television.

Rose followed a vegan lifestyle and back in 1958 credited his professional swimming successes to veganism.