SWAN, Adrian David

BORN JANUARY 15TH 1930 IN MELBOURNE AUSTRALIA, [5, 8, 9] Swan learned to skate at Melbourne Glaciarium and St Moritz St Kilda ice rinks. At seventeen he performed in Wendy Lee's Moritziana ice revue at St Moritz, the papers describing him as "speedy but restrained in technique, which should develop virtuosity." The next year, representing Victoria, he competed in the National Pairs event with Betty Stringer, won by Homsey and Hinchey from New South Wales. In 1949, he and Gweneth Molony won the title.

Although at least three contemporary newspapers report Swan won the Australian Men's title in 1950, in between Reg Park and Alan Ganter, it was not officially awarded in either '50 or '51. [1] Swan performed with Gwen Molony at the opening of the Moonah ice rink in Tasmania in October 1950, then left for London to train and prepare for international competition, including coaching from Arnold Gerschwiler in Switzerland. [7]

In February 1952, he made history as Australia's first men's competitor in Olympic figure skating at the Oslo Games (10th/14). Nancy Hallam and Gweneth Molony were the first women. Later that month, he placed tenth of eleven at the Paris World Championships and in March at Empress Hall London, he won the British Junior and Senior Championships, the only competitor in the senior event (1952, 1st/8 and 1st/1). [3]

He was the best of Australia's nine competitors at Oslo amid rumours he did not sign the £750 AOF fidelity bond. In those years, the AOF bonded athletes to stay amateur for two years after the Games. When Swan performed under a professional contract at Earl's Court, London, Team Manager Ted Molony accused him of breaking the bond that AOF secretary, Edgar Tanner, said he signed. Others wanted the money collected. The AOF took no action and Swan later said he was never asked to sign. At the Summer Olympics later that year, cyclist Russell Mockridge initially refused to sign, but broke the impasse with a negotiated reduction to one year.

Swan returned home in 1953 after nearly three years overseas and later coached at Ron Priestly's rink in Los Angeles. Many retired ice show stars from Australia and Great Britain found work there according to US Figure Skating Double Gold Medalist, Jo Ann Schneider Farris. Priestly left Australia permanently late in 1948 after a decade of professional show skating.

"Adrian Swan was the strictest coach at Valley Ice Skating Center," wrote Farris in her memoir. "The best skaters 'took from him' or they took lessons from Jerry Boyvin, who was the other coach at the rink with the best students. No-one called Mr Swan, Adrian. He was Mr Swan. He specialised in teaching ice dancing and figures, but was also considered the best "all round" coach at the rink". [4]

Swan's tenth placing in Oslo is Australia's best Olympic figure skating result. Anthony Liu also placed tenth fifty years later in Salt Lake. Adrian died in Melbourne on September 29th 1989. He was 59. [5]