Some people are upset when they win silver. Boo-hoo you say; ‘so sad you got silver’. At the Olympics most swimmers are happy to have any colour of medal and certainly, if you had only one shot at an Olympic medal, then, like most everyone, you’d be happy to take something home heavier than paper.

But if you were told you are a superstar, destined for greatness, the next Mark Spitz, silver would not be an acceptable part of your future.

Consider a young swimmer called Tim Shaw. Tim did two sports at the Olympics. Obviously a very talented guy. He was a distance swimmer and a water polo player.

In 1974 Tim Shaw was on fire. Over the space of four days at AAU Nationals, he broke the world records of Mark Spitz, Rick DeMont and Stephen Holland in the 200, 400 and 1500. Then at the World Championships Shaw won 200, 400 and 1500 and was heralded as a “new superstar”; he was 16.

It’s nice to be praised for a job well done but this was very public! Sometimes even called a curse.

Shaw was elevated to super stardom by receiving the FINA Prize Eminence Award in 1974 following his three world records and three gold at the FINA World Championships. His award was for his great contribution to world aquatics. He was also named World Swimmer of the Year two years in a row; in 1974 and 1975. Then he won the Sullivan Award in 1975 as the most outstanding amateur athlete in the United States for all sports. High praise indeed!

A ‘New Superstar’, in 1975, could only mean one thing: you are the next Mark Spitz. In 1972, Mark Spitz became a household name around the world. No one had ever won seven Olympic gold medals, with seven world records. So the SI cover page was placing Shaw on a pretty high pedestal. Then things went wrong.

Shaw had a coach that liked high mileage. When I say high mileage, I’m saying way higher than you might think. A French Canadian Coach visited Shaw’s coach Dick Jochum just after the US Championships in April 1976 and reported on his visit to their training programme. This report (French written section) has part of the Swim Canada Magazine in early 1976:

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American Swimming Championships OLYMPIC PREPARATION BULVERS THE PREDICTIONS

Observers who attended the American swimming championships, from April 1 to 4 in Long Beach, California, and who saw Tim Shaw, the world record holder of the 400-metre freestyle in 3:53.31, swim the same distance in 4:02.80 (good performance for a 3rd place in the consolation final), wonder what was happening. The previous week, at the university championships, Shaw had won the 500 free style and the 1650 yards in record times for the United States, and he had immediately resumed the training routine.

I had the opportunity to attend some of these training sessions, where he travelled an average of 15,000 metres per day for two periods. His trainer, the reputed Dick Jochums, then told me: “Those who will use the results of the American championships to evaluate our chances at the Montreal Games will make a mistake. Our Olympic trials will take place in the middle of June and this is the objective we are aiming for.”

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The US Olympic Trials in Long Beach California Trials in June showed Shaw in trouble. Shaw had become anemic which is often a sign of over training but even worse for Shaw; he developed shoulder problems. Both classic signs of a body brought to the edge of destruction and then pushed on. Swimming two sessions per day of 15,000m will do that. His trials results put him out of the 1500 (5th place) but he made a spot on the 4×200 relay and a spot in the 400.

Along came the 1976 Olympics in Montreal for America’s next superstar.

On the second day of racing, 19th July, Shaw watched his former world record event; 200m free and the heats of the 1500. His 200m team mates all made the final in the 200 free (3 entries per country was permitted in 1976) and then swept the medals.

Watching from the stands must have been hard because to get a medal, later on in the 4×200 relay, a gold medal a sure thing, he had to swim in the 4×200 final. His three team mates were now guaranteed spots in the relay in the final because no one from any country was faster than them. They placed first, second and third. Shaw would have to beat all three and do a time that was under the new world record and it is likely those three swimmers were already told they had a spot due to their 1-2-3 finish.

There was another problem too, the winner of the 200fly, Mike Bruner, was one of the selected 4×200 relay swimmers. Bruner was swimming very well, he had won gold in 200fly on the first day, in a world record. It is likely Bruner had been told he would get a final spot on the relay no matter how well the 200 free swimmers did.

On day three, 20th July, it was the day of the 1500 final. An event he had been preparing for by doing 150,000m per week! His main event. One that his coach had predicted he would go under 15minutes. In the Swim Canada Magazine Jochum was quoted; “I sincerely believe that Tim may be the one who will break the 15-minute barrier. And I hope it will be in Montreal”. In one of the most historic races ever in 1500, Shaw watched his fellow milers all destroy his world record. First, second and third; 15:02, 15:03, 15:04. Shaw was world record holder less than 10 months before, in 15:20.

Luckily he had qualified in the 400 free at the US Trials and would be racing on day four, the day after the 1500. His last hope. Shaw had beaten the world record in the 400 free four times in 1974 and 1975. In the final, Shaw was out sprinted in the last 50m by Brian Goodell who had won the 1500 the day before. It would seem he was not going to be the next superhero.

Returning from the Olympics Shaw had only a silver medal. But wait… Shaw had another sport to go for gold; water polo.

Following Montreal in 1976, Shaw switched to polo. His father was a Water Polo coach so he likely helped convince Tim that life playing a game was better than 30,000m per day of swimming. Not a tough sell. A few years of playing a fun sport and go for gold again.

Four years after 1976 the world’s elite athletes awaited the next Games to start. However in 1980 Jimmy Carter famously cancelled the Olympics for USA using the lives of athletes as a pawn in international politics. So Tim had to again watch from the sidelines and wait another four more years.

Shaw persevered and continued on to 1984. A man now 26 years old, determined to put a gold in his trophy cabinet. The tournament came down to the final, USA played very well and were undefeated. In the final USA played Yugoslavia. Very strangely the final match finished in a tie! 5-5 but the gold went to the team with the highest number of goals across the Games tournament. Shaw once again got a silver medal for his trouble.

So if you’re sad to take home a silver save your tears, there’s always someone worse off. Shaw consoled himself with words of wisdom by his coach Jochums:

“My coach, Dick Jochums, believed in Greek philosophy,” says Shaw. “He always felt true victories were won by battles with yourself.
That no matter how you’ve mastered the moment, the laurel wreath dies. He convinced me that you can leave the past behind, rather than continue to grasp at something you tried to accomplish.”

Very philosophical indeed, but still not gold.