Swim England expresses condolences at the passing of Clive Rushton

Swim England offers its condolences to the family and friends of Clive Rushton, who passed away overnight on Sunday.

Clive had a massive influence on the swimming world; coaching, educating and mentoring across the globe. He held senior coaching roles in a variety of countries, including Canada and New Zealand.

He was also a competitive swimmer for GB in his youth and enjoyed lots of success on the national and international stage.

Clive had been battling cancer, which was discovered at Christmas. He died at home in Bali, Indonesia where he lived with his wife, Martini.

He is survived by three children, two step children and his mother.

The early years – life of a swimming coach

Clive was born in Rochdale in Lancashire, which is home to one of the oldest swimming clubs in history.

In 1966, Clive became the first Rochdale swimmer to make a nationals final. He was a national swimming champion in the 220yard and 110yard backstroke by the end of the decade.

He was also an Olympian, competing in the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, before retiring from competitive swimming at the age of 25.

Following this, he was an international coach, representing Britain at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and the 1989 European Championships.

Clive totally immersed himself in swimming. He wrote books and papers, many of which were well known across the world.

His paper for the American Swimming Coaches Association was widely acclaimed, entitled ‘When Strategy Usurps Planning’.

Clive will be sorely missed by the world of swimming. You can read more information about his achievements and some of the wonderful comments left by friends and peers on Swim Vortex.