Rick DeMont’s life has certainly been colourful. Imagine winning an Olympic Gold, only 16 years old, only to have it unfairly ripped away from you. To have worked hard only to be unfairly labelled a cheat. DeMont’s story is certainly one of the sport’s most interesting and perhaps most inspiring ones!
The Discovery of a Star
In 1972, Team USA had a bunch of star swimmers, the brightest of which was Mark Spitz, the record-smashing butterfly and freestyle champion in his early 20s. Rick DeMont, by comparison, was an innocent high school kid, but people started to take notice of him in the Olympic qualification round when he shaved off more than four seconds off the record for the 1500m freestyle. He certainly made heads turn and built much anticipation upon the build up to the 1972 games - little did we know, this was only the start.
A Short-Lived Triumph
At the 1972 Olympics in Munich, the young Rick DeMont took the gold medal in the men’s 400-meter freestyle – an achievement which should have brought him recognition and worldwide popularity. However, that wasn’t the case. DeMont’s post-race urinalysis (doping test) resulted positive for traces of ephedrine which, although was a banned substance, was a normal constituent of his prescription asthma medication – which he had declared on the medical form. Rick DeMont, a long-time asthma sufferer, had taken the medication, called Marax, since he was a little boy.
Failure to Appeal
Despite doctors saying that the traces were “infinitesimal” (just 12 parts in a million), and despite the US Olympic Committee (USOC) clearing him, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) were not so sympathetic. What should have been an irrelevant factor within what would have been a momentous victory was overruled by a routine prescription medication that did not enhance or effect any performative qualities of DeMont's race.
Poolside Pity
Just minutes before he was supposed to race in the 1500m freestyle, where everyone was eager to see him repeat the world-record he had reached in the qualifiers, Rick DeMont was informed on poolside that he was disqualified and that he had to return his medal. Members of Team America were in tears, highlighting their disbelief about such a controversial decision. Even as Spitz took home four individual goals and three relay titles, their joy was tinged with disappointment and disbelief about DeMont’s cruel disqualification, which overshadowed the positive sentiments of the victories that Team USA had acquired.
Bouncing Back
The following year, Rick DeMont came back with a vengeance, breaking records and proving the Olympic committee wrong. He won the 1973 World Championships in Belgrade, becoming the first man to swim a 400m freestyle in less than 4 minutes (3:58.18). That year, he was also named World Swimmer of the Year, and in 1990, he was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame. He became a coach at the University of Arizona, where he stayed for decades and trained dozens of NCAA champions.
The Value of Resilience
DeMont has had a commnandable career despite this early career setback. His comeback, it can be argued, is more inspiring than any specific victory or race win. DeMont's story displays resilience and determination, where a flourishing career does not need to be stumped by one negative event. It just goes to show that hard work pays off in the end.
DeMont’s Career After Injustice
The IOC has never reinstated Rick DeMont’s medal, changed the race results or overturned the ban, despite his appeals. However, you only have to look at Rick DeMont’s glittering career to see how he didn’t let that unjust setback stop him. There is also proof out there to show the ability he had in the 1972 Olympics and nobody can take that away from him. It goes to show that medals are not the be all and end all of a career. There's much more to swimming, for example, than the amount of titles or victories you have to your name.
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