CBC Digital Archives

1992 Barcelona Olympics: Mark Tewksbury

Alex Baumann was best, stalwart Sylvie Frechette showed grace and Donovan Bailey left his rivals in the dust. From 1984 to 2000, CBC Radio and Television followed Canadian athletes chasing Olympic gold. They were the fastest and the strongest and they had Canadians from coast to coast smiling a little wider and cheering a little louder.

Backstroker Mark Tewksbury has his game face on, as shown in this CBC documentary. In the past he's had brushes with greatness but has consistently fallen just short of the mark. Now, he's more confident than ever, as shown in this CBC documentary. Corporate sponsors flock to the photogenic swimmers and the pressure climbs. In Barcelona Tewksbury will rise to the occasion. He will win the gold medal in the 100-metre backstroke with a time of 53.98 seconds. 
• Tewksbury also won a bronze medal in the swimming relays in Barcelona. In 1988, he won a silver medal in the medley relay at the Seoul Olympics.
• Six months before the 1992 Olympics, Tewksbury travelled to Barcelona to help visualize his win. He snuck onto the grounds and found the pool area where he would be competing. Tewksbury visualized the event and waved to the imaginary crowd over the laughter of the construction workers before he was thrown out by security.

• After his win, Tewksbury was featured on the cover of Time magazine and was named Canadian Athlete of the Year. He was also awarded the Meritorious Service Medal and was inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame. He retired from competition in 1993.
• Following his retirement, Tewksbury worked with the Canadian Olympic Association and the International Olympic Committee. When the IOC bribery scandal broke in 1999, Tewksbury resigned his posts citing disappointment in the corrupt leadership.

• On Dec. 15, 1998, Tewksbury came out in a Globe and Mail article titled "A sports hero declares he's gay." "I was what everybody wanted [the image] to be," he told reporter Patricia Young. "But I wanted to say, 'Wait a minute, wait a minute. I've got a secret. The boy next door is gay.' So after a number of incidents, I cracked."

• Since coming out, Tewksbury has been a motivational speaker and a vocal advocate for gay rights. As of 2004, he lives in Montreal and is the co-president of Rendez-Vous Montréal 2006, a gay sport and cultural festival.
Medium: Television
Program: CBC Television News
Broadcast Date: June 22, 1992
Guest(s): Diane Jones-Konihowski, Debbie Muir, Deryk Snelling, Mark Tewksbury
Reporter: Marty Heeg
Duration: 16:22

Last updated: July 9, 2012

Page consulted on August 21, 2012

All Clips from this Topic

Related Content

Saskatoon Lily: record-breaker, scandal-maker

Top-notch athlete Ethel Catherwood couldn't keep her secrets concealed forever.

IOC chair Samaranch must resign: Tewksbury

The Salt Lake City corruption scandal rocks the IOC.

1992 Barcelona Olympics: Sylvie Frechette ret...

Sylvie Frechette returns home to Montreal a champion.

1992 Barcelona Olympics: Sylvie Frechette

Synchronized swimmer Sylvie Frechette must settle for silver - temporarily.

1988 Seoul Olympics: Lennox Lewis

Boxer Lennox Lewis is the unbeatable king of the ring.