Victor Davis and Alex Baumann were swimming greats in the early 1980s, arguably during Swimming Canada’s golden years.
Davis took gold in world record time at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles in the 200 breaststroke and silver in the 100 breaststroke. Davis was crowned Swimming Canada’s Athlete of the Year 3-times and the Canadian goverment made him a Member of the Order of Canada.
Merely a few months after Davis’ retirement in 1989, he was hit by a car and killed.
Baumann could do it all. He was the world’s greatest IM in his day. Before the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles Baumann suffered extraordinary tragedies. His dad died, suffering from complications due to diabetes and his brother committed suicide. Baumann overcame these tragedies, leading Canada to the Olympics as his country’s flag bearer. Baumann captured both the 400 and 200 IM gold medals, lowering the world record in both races. Like Davis, the Canadian government made him a Member of the Order of Canada.
Several friends have sent this video to SwimSwam, including masters swimmer and swim analyst Brandon Franklin.
Team Aquatic Supplies also pointed out this video. Many thanks to them and their support of SwimSwam.com
Thanks for posting this on your site. I have not seen it for a while and It did bring back considerable memories for me. I still vividly recall Victor and I pushing each other in pursuit of our individual goals. He was a dear friend and to this day is sorely missed.
Awesome!! I remember watching this movie as a kid quite vividly. Thanks for finding/posting.
there is no hazard in life . Just 2 days ago , i came across this movie on yutube . Incredible ! thanks ….
Kirk, how cool is it that you knew them both!???!!! I wish I could have seen what you witnessed.
Thanks so much! So many great memories came rushing back. Had a blast chasing Victor up and down the pool! Had even more fun with Victor, Dean, and all the other ROW guys and gals on Albert street. Alex and Victor going head to head in practice in Calgary after the Esso Cup was a battle I wish I had on tape to show my swimmers. Two of the all time greats that were great friends. Simply Awesome! Thanks again!
I found this one on Youtube a few weeks ago and absolutely loved it! So many memories came flooding back! Sooooo good! There was also sadness when you realized that Victor was gone. That this outstanding man and athlete was taken away from us far too early in his life. Yet, the legacy that is Baumann lives on and happily so! I highly recommend this video to any swimming fan young and old. There is much to learn from our history and this video is one of the all time greats.