Passing of Charlie Hickox

Swimming has lost another great with the passing of Charlie Hickox, who passed away last week from cancer at the age of 63. It seems like a swimmer from my era passes every year with Roy Saari and Don McKenzie passing away last year. Hickox was a surprise winner of 3 gold medals at the 1968 Olympics in the 200 and 400 IM and the 400 Medley Relay. He also won the silver medal in the 100 Back behind Roland Matthes, who many consider including myself to be the greatest backstroke in swimming history. He is considered by many to be one of the most underrated Olympians of all time. He is the first male swimmer to win both IM at the Olympics and his performance at the 1968 games was better than almost everyone excluding Debbie Meyer. His greatest race in the 1968 Olympics was the 400 IM and he went stroke for stroke with a young HS junior named Gary Hall and touched him out by .3 for the gold. For his performances, he was named World Swimmer of the year for 1968. He went to Indiana and swam for Doc Counsilman and was on Doc's first NCAA Championship team in 1968. At the 1968 NCAA Championships, he won the 100 back, 200 Back, and 200 IM. He won the 200 Back by 2.11 and the 200 IM by 4.05 and then went to the 1968 Olympic Trials and won the 100 Back, 200 IM and 400 IM. He set World Records in both the 200 IM and 400 IM at the 1968 Olympic Trials. The 1969 NCAA Championship team is considered by many to be one of the greatest NCAA teams of all time. Mark Spitz was a freshman that year and won 3 events at the NCAA Championship after his disappointing 1968 Olympics. Hickox almost matched that with two wins and a second place in the 100 back by .02 to Fred Haywood. That was the only individual race he lost and won 7 of 8 races entered at the NCAA Championship meet. He retired from swimming after the 1968 Olympics. What I found interesting back then and now is that he did not swim in HS because his HS did not have a pool and played basketball and tennis. He swam in the summer leagues and some AAU age group swimming. That was unheard of back then just like it would be now to progress to that level without the heavy HS and AAU background. Here are some links about Charlie and what he meant to swimming and Doc Counsilman. www.azcentral.com/.../20100615olympic-swimmer-charlie-hickcox.html news.suite101.com/.../olympic-swimmer-charlie-hickcox-dies-from-cancer-in-san-diego-a250089 sportsillustrated.cnn.com/.../index.htm