49 Facts About Neil Brooks

Neil Brooks made his debut at the Australian Championships in 1976, but it was not until 1979 that he medalled at national level and made his debut for Australia at a FINA Swimming World Cup meet.

Neil Brooks accepted a swimming scholarship at the University of Arkansas, where he enjoyed the more liberal disciplinary standards.

Neil Brooks returned to Australia for the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane and again raised the ire of officials during a preparatory training camp.

An only child, Neil Brooks was born in Crewe, England, before migrating to Western Australia when he was four, along with his working-class parents Mick and Norah.

Neil Brooks was forced to cling to the boat as his friend swam ashore to seek help.

Neil Brooks was known for his rebellious nature, and had a glowing assessment of his coach, opining that "He's not pushy like many other Australian coaches and he's not in the politics of Australian swimming".

At the age of 13, Neil Brooks suffered a loss of confidence.

Neil Brooks attended Hale Primary School and trained at Beatty Park Pool, routinely dominating the State Age Championships.

In 1976, at the age of 13, Neil Brooks competed at his first open Australian Championships, but did not gain any podium finishes and as such missed selection in the team for the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal.

Neil Brooks' family took his future relay team-mate Mark Tonelli, who had a reputation for indiscipline.

Neil Brooks was inspired by Tonelli and cited him as a key motivating factor in him wanting to become an Olympian.

Neil Brooks broke six records in winning two events at the 1977 Western Australian Championships.

Neil Brooks spent the rest of the year training and studying accounting at Leederville Technical College.

Neil Brooks's performances earned him selection in the Australian team for the first time, competing in the FINA Swimming World Cup event in Tokyo in April 1979, aged 16 years and nine months.

Neil Brooks had the first of his many clashes with sporting administrators, first claiming that the officials did not want him to board with Tonelli's family and then stating that Sweetenham had only coached him two or three times, which he felt was insufficient.

Neil Brooks walked out of the camp and returned to Perth to train under Duff.

Neil Brooks took a leadership role among the athletes to fight for their right to compete.

Neil Brooks did so with an uneven arm technique due to the disparity in the strength of his arms.

Neil Brooks then made a powerful, well-timed dive and surfaced almost even with his Soviet counterpart.

Neil Brooks did not breathe in the last ten metres, and claimed to be laughing for the final five metres, confident that his opponent could not pass him.

Neil Brooks dedicated the team's win to his mother, who had died from cancer the previous Christmas.

Neil Brooks suffered from a lack of motivation after the Olympics.

Neil Brooks was recruited to the Australian Institute of Sport by swimming coaches Bill Sweetenham and Dennis Pursley, but his stay was brief.

Neil Brooks then accepted a scholarship to go to the University of Arkansas to train under Sam Freas.

Neil Brooks enjoyed the more liberal culture in the American collegiate system, particularly the relationship between swimmers and their coaches.

Neil Brooks initially planned to stay in the United States for only a year, but decided to extend his stay by a year, having enjoyed the high frequency of racing and the recognition accorded to university athletes in the United States.

Neil Brooks spoke out about the quality of the accommodation, leading officials to make improvements.

Neil Brooks telephoned his coach in the United States to make return travel arrangements for the conclusion of the Commonwealth Games.

Neil Brooks received a one-month ban, effective after the conclusion of the Commonwealth Games.

Neil Brooks demanded that if the ASU were to suspend him, they should do so immediately for the Commonwealth Games, rather than letting him compete and win medals before punishing him.

Neil Brooks has remained strongly critical of the attitude of swimming bureaucracy, claiming that "too many officials expect unquestioning obedience", calling for the formation of a swimmers' committee.

Neil Brooks was named as Western Australia's Sportsman of the Year.

Neil Brooks came into the 1984 Australian Championships as the favourite, but this time he was on the receiving end of a close result.

Neil Brooks remained adamant that either he or Stockwell should have led off, stating that "the gold was there for the taking".

Neil Brooks collected a bronze in the medley relay after swimming the freestyle leg in the heats before being replaced by first-choice Stockwell in the final.

In particular, he singled out Neil Brooks as being a focal point of disruptive activity during his time at the Australian Institute of Sport.

Neil Brooks retired thereafter, moving to Nambour, Queensland and starting a rock band called The Union.

Neil Brooks played the electric guitar, and wrote his own music and songs.

Neil Brooks represented Western Australia in water polo and indoor cricket and played Australian rules football at district level.

Neil Brooks served as a commentator for Seven's coverage of the 1988,1992 and 1996 Summer Olympics.

Neil Brooks became addicted to alcohol, leading to a series of on-screen incidents.

Neil Brooks once read the sports news segment while inebriated, and was then involved in a drunken argument with the Nine Network's Australian rules football pundit Sam Newman.

In early 1999, in an interview with a magazine that had not been authorised by Seven, Neil Brooks was asked what event he was looking forward to most at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, and replied "The after-Olympics piss-up".

In late 2000, Neil Brooks was declared bankrupt by the Federal Court of Australia in Perth after failing to repay a $15,000 debt to Bankwest.

Neil Brooks claimed that the plant belonged to a friend, and then announced that he would be leaving the state.

Neil Brooks later became a partner in Nitro Energy Drink Company, which was involved in motorsport sponsorship.

In 2009, Neil Brooks was removed from the board and the company was put into administration, and both he and his former partner started legal proceedings.

On 13 October 2017 Linda Neil Brooks was arrested in Perth after returning there from Bali.

Neil Brooks was later arrested upon entering the country from Hong Kong, and both were charged with fraud.