34 Facts About Gail Neall

Gail Neall won a gold medal in the 400-metre individual medley at the 1972 Summer Olympics in world record time.

Gail Neall's father Allan was a graduate of the University of Queensland and had found a job with an oil company.

Gail Neall's brother was 13 years older than she was, while her two sisters were twelve and eight years her senior, respectively.

Gail Neall's family had a backyard pool, something that was rather uncommon during the 1950s in Australia.

Gail Neall was initially timid, and would not take her feet from the bottom of the pool.

Gail Neall had her first swimming instruction from Marlene Town, a former Queensland champion.

Gail Neall's father cited his daughter's personal trait of wanting to prove her sceptics wrong as a major attribute in her future success.

Gail Neall took her to Arthur Cusack at Brisbane's Centenary Pool, and only two weeks later, she came third in the under-9 division of the 50-metre freestyle at the State Schools Championships.

Gail Neall quickly encountered success, winning her first New South Wales Championship in her age division of the backstroke at 11 in 1966.

In mid-1968, Gail Neall broke her arm in a gymnastics class at school and was sidelined for more than three months.

Gail Neall returned in the 1969 New South Wales Winter Championships, where she did well enough to win selection for a state team tour of New Zealand.

Gail Neall claimed no victories in the State Championships and was disqualified in the 400-metre individual medley after breaking a state record in the heats.

Gail Neall won the 400-metre individual medley, setting the fastest time in the Commonwealth for the year to date.

Gail Neall showed a wide range of skills by winning bronze in the 200-metre butterfly and a silver in the 200-metre individual medley.

Gail Neall came third and second in the 200 and 400-metre respectively to gain selection, despite having yet to claim a national title.

Gail Neall had converted from concentrating on the butterfly event to medley swimming, despite difficulties with the breaststroke leg.

Gail Neall continued her rise after the Commonwealth Games by winning the medley double and a silver medal in the 200-metre butterfly at the 1971 New South Wales Championships.

Gail Neall's father felt that his daughter's performance improved as a result of Talbor's individual attention to his swimmers, thereby building their confidence.

Gail Neall was selected for the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, and travelled to the team training camp in Brisbane.

Gail Neall sealed her place in the 200-metre butterfly by winning a trial race during the camp, and was entered in both the individual medleys.

Gail Neall was considered an outsider in her pet event, the 400-metre individual medley, with Americans Jennifer Bartz, Lyn Vidali and Mary Montgomery, and Canadian Leslie Cliff fancied to take the gold medal.

Gail Neall initially contested the lead in the butterfly leg with Bartz and Vidali, taking the lead in the second 50 metres of the first stroke after the two Americans had led in the first lap.

Gail Neall extended her lead to a bodylength at the end of the backstroke leg, before going into the breaststroke, her weakest leg.

Cliff attacked in the first half of the freestyle leg and took a narrow lead at the final turn, before Gail Neall fought back to draw level with 30 metres to go.

Gail Neall was a schoolmate of fellow Munich gold medal winning swimmer Shane Gould at Turramurra High School on the north shore of Sydney.

Gail Neall started training with his assistant Ruth Everuss, but the pair did not produce the desired results.

Gail Neall took an extended break from swimming to complete her Higher School Certificate and won a scholarship to Kuring-gai College of Advanced Education to train as a primary school teacher.

Gail Neall placed second in the 400-metre individual medley and third in the 200-metre butterfly.

Gail Neall competed in the Canadian season, setting three Canadian all-comers records.

Gail Neall won both medley events and the 200-metre butterfly and was selected for the Commonwealth Games.

At the 1974 Commonwealth Games in Christchurch, New Zealand, Gail Neall had faded from her peak times.

Gail Neall met her farmer-grazier husband while teaching in rural New South Wales, and they settled in Merrygoen, New South Wales.

Gail Neall ceased her involvement in swimming as there was no pool in the vicinity of the area, which was frequently drought-stricken.

Gail Neall was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1990.