During late '80s and early '90s, dominated UBC and Canadian university swimming. Won 12 gold medals at the CIAU championships. Won golds at the World Student Games and World Cup of swimming. Set CIAU, Canadian and Commonwealth records. Ten-time Canadian champion and in '91 was ranked among the top seven swimmers in the world. Two-time Olympian, '88 and '92.
From 1986/87 until 1992/93 UBC would claim an athlete who truly excelled at his sport - in fact dominated - both at the national and international levels. During these years Turlough O'Hare earned good grades while dedicating himself to swimming. He was a two time Olympian, participated at both the World Cup of swimming and Commonwealth Games while at the same time dominated the CIAU (now CIS).
The 200 and 400-metre freestyle were O'Hare's specialties and as a freshman at UBC he was the second ranked swimmer in the CIS in these events. He was also a member of BC's number three-ranked 4x200-metre freestyle relay team.
The next year, 1987/88, UBC, in O'Hare, had the number one 400 metre freestyle swimmer in the CIS. His 400 metre winning time at this university National Championship was both a new CIS and Canadian record. Earlier that year at a meet against the University of Washington, he had established a personal best in the 200m freestyle winning in a time of 1:52.50. It was the summer of 1988 that National Team member O'Hare would become the eighth swimmer in UBC's history to compete for Canada at the Olympics. Coach Tom Johnson at the time described O'Hare as "…having all the attributes. He's got a brain, he's a caring kind of person who thinks about the team."
During the following two years, 1988/89 and 89/90, O'Hare did not compete for UBC but continued to swim for Canada, winning the 400 metre freestyle gold in the Pan-Pacific Championships in 1989 as well as being victorious at the first ever World Cup freestyle championship in 1990. At the World Student Games in 1990, O'Hare won the bronze in the 200-metre freestyle and in the World Championships finished seventh in the same event setting in the process, a new Canadian record.
The next season, 1990/91, O'Hare, entered the national CIS championships ranked number seven in the world in the 200m freestyle. The 22-year-old Human Kinetics student would move up a rank or two with his performance at this CIS meet. He broke his own CIS record with a victory in the 400 metre (3:43.95) and set a new CIS, Canadian and Commonwealth record in the 200 metre with his 1:46.32 victory. He would also set a new CIS record in the 1500 metre freestyle in addition to leading UBC to second place finishes in the 4x100 metre and 4x200 metre relays. According to his UBC coach Johnson, "His intensity and desire was quite unusual. As a coach you very rarely come across these qualities to this degree. He had a hunger for competition that was almost insatiable."
As good as 1990/9l was, 1991/92 was as good or better. By this time O'Hare was undisputed Canadian freestyle champion. He had established yet another Commonwealth Games record in the 200 metre freestyle and at the World Cup meet in Spain reached the finals in the 200 and 400 while winning gold in the 500m freestyle. Johnson remembers this 500 metre victory as "a big surprise as O'Hare beat out several Olympic medallists in the event."
At the 1991 Canada West championships O'Hare and UBC were showcased when he set a new Canada West record in the 200m. At this time the UBC men's swim team was one of this school's all-time best with O'Hare and backstroke specialist Kevin Draxinger the backbone of the team. The two had combined for a total of five first place finishes at these Canada West championships and heading toward the National Championship, O'Hare proclaimed "I've made some definite commitments to the University program. Olympic aspirations are definitely there, but my entire university swimming career has been at UBC and winning a National Championship is an important personal goal for me."
At these 1991/92 CIS championships UBC did not win the national title but the 1992 CIS Male Swimmer of the Year was Turlough O'Hare. He won gold in the 200-metre freestyle and for the third time was 400-metre champion setting a new Canadian record. He won his second consecutive 1500 metre freestyle title and finished third in the 100 metre freestyle. The Richmond, BC native also paced UBC to victories in the 4x200 metre and 4x100 metre freestyle races.
O'Hare did in fact compete in his second Olympics in 1992, one of the few swimmers in UBC history to compete in two Olympics. Nonetheless, "He had tremendous pride in the UBC program and the team. Along with Draxinger, O'Hare defined UBC swimming and would go through the wall for the program," stated coach Johnson.
After this watershed year, O'Hare returned for his final year at UBC and at the 92/93 CIS championships once again captured the gold in the 200 metre (his third) and the 1500 metre (also his third). For the fourth time he was number one in the CIS in the 400 metre freestyle bringing his total of CIS medals to an amazing 21–12 golds, 6 silver and 3 bronze. In addition to his impressive CIS medal total one also has to consider his being 10 time Canadian Champion in the 200, 400 and 1500 metres, plus the several CIS and Canadian records he holds or held in these events. As of 2002, Turlough still holds the CIS and Canadian records in the 1500/800 freestyle, set in 1992.
O'Hare finished 92/93 by winning two more gold medals at the World Student Games, winning both the 500 and 880 freestyle.
As far as UBC's team is concerned, O'Hare on three occasions was instrumental in leading the Blue and Gold to fourth place or better in the national standings. As Johnson says, “…O'Hare defined UBC swimming…”
Finally, on the national university scene UBC can be proud of its 12 CIS gold medal-winning swimmer. "God, what a career that kid had!" exclaims Johnson.
Researched and written by Fred Hume, UBC Athletics Historian
