Allan's Story
1943 –
Allan Wood is probably Australia's least-known multiple Olympic medallist. He swam at a time when Australia had three world beaters in men's distance swimming, in Murray Rose and Robert Windle and John Konrads at the tail end of his career. At his only international swimming meeting before Tokyo 1964, he finished second in the 440 yards freestyle, third in the 1650 yards freestyle and was a member of the winning team in the 4x220 yards freestyle relay at the Empire and Commonwealth Games at Perth 1962. In the absence of Murray Rose at Tokyo, he finished third in the 400m freestyle, behind the great Don Schollander, of the United States, and the same placing in the 1500m freestyle behind Australia's Robert Windle as the winner. Windle had won his heat of the 400m freestyle but misjudged the time required to progress to the final and thus was eliminated from that event. In the 4x200m freestyle relay Wood teamed with Windle, David Dickson and Peter Doak to finish fourth. After Tokyo Wood did not swim in international competition again.
