1992 Barcelona: Mark Tewksbury
Broadcast Date: June 22, 1992
Backstroker Mark Tewksbury has his game face on, as shown in this CBC documentary. In the past he's had brushes with greatness but has consistently fallen just short of the mark. Now, he's more confident than ever, as shown in this CBC documentary. Corporate sponsors flock to the photogenic swimmers and the pressure climbs. In Barcelona Tewksbury will rise to the occasion. He will win the gold medal in the 100-metre backstroke with a time of 53.98 seconds.1992 Barcelona: Mark Tewksbury
• Tewksbury also won a bronze medal in the swimming relays in Barcelona. In 1988, he won a silver medal in the medley relay at the Seoul Olympics.• Six months before the 1992 Olympics, Tewksbury travelled to Barcelona to help visualize his win. He snuck onto the grounds and found the pool area where he would be competing. Tewksbury visualized the event and waved to the imaginary crowd over the laughter of the construction workers before he was thrown out by security.
• After his win, Tewksbury was featured on the cover of Time magazine and was named Canadian Athlete of the Year. He was also awarded the Meritorious Service Medal and was inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame. He retired from competition in 1993.
• Following his retirement, Tewksbury worked with the Canadian Olympic Association and the International Olympic Committee. When the IOC bribery scandal broke in 1999, Tewksbury resigned his posts citing disappointment in the corrupt leadership.
• On Dec. 15, 1998, Tewksbury came out in a Globe and Mail article titled "A sports hero declares he's gay." "I was what everybody wanted [the image] to be," he told reporter Patricia Young. "But I wanted to say, 'Wait a minute, wait a minute. I've got a secret. The boy next door is gay.' So after a number of incidents, I cracked."
• Since coming out, Tewksbury has been a motivational speaker and a vocal advocate for gay rights. As of 2004, he lives in Montreal and is the co-president of Rendez-Vous Montréal 2006, a gay sport and cultural festival.
1992 Barcelona: Mark Tewksbury
Medium: Television
Program: CBC Television News
Broadcast Date: June 22, 1992
Guest(s): Diane Jones-Konihowski, Debbie Muir, Deryk Snelling, Mark Tewksbury
Reporter: Marty Heeg
Duration: 16:22
Last updated:
March 3, 2008
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1992 Barcelona: Mark Tewksbury.
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Last updated: March 3, 2008.
[Page consulted on Feb. 13, 2012.]