The Canadian, and global, swimming community is in mourning today as Nick Thierry, the publisher and editor of SwimNews magazine, has passed away. He was 73.
The Swimnews magazine, originally called Swim Canada Magazine, is a leading international swimming publication that he started in 1974.
Thierry never had many great accomplishments as a swimmer, but so massive were his contributions on dryland that in the year 2000, he was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame.
Coaching in Toronto, Thierry coached swimmers to three Olympic teams (1964-1972), and was a member of the 1970 Commonwealth Games staff.
And still, with those successes in coaching it is as a statistical mastermind where he will leave a lasting impact on the sport. History will remember Thierry, because he has been the developer of much of the kind of history swimmers and swim fans adore: statistics. Thierry over the last 40 years has become recognized as the world’s foremost swimming statistician, doing work both for his own SwimNews publication and for governing bodies like Swimming Canada and FINA. Even before the internet, he brought swimming from the dark ages of statistics into a new, global recording that allowed swimmers from around the globe to easily find their standing in the world of swimming.
SwimSwam is one of the many publications that reaps the rewards of the statistics framework Thierry laid decades ago. We wish to pass our condolences to Nick’s family and friends. Although Nick is no longer with us, his contributions to the sport of Swimming will not be forgotten.
Loved Nick. Swimmers could always know that someone somewhere on the planet cared enough to seek out results & pbs. This wasn’t nearly so easy pre internet.
I am also certain that Nick also held the key to the eternal mystery of the missing socks.
I have been faithfully reading SwimNews (or Swim Canada magazine) since the third issue was published in April/May1974. Nick will be greatly missed.
Nicky coached me in Mexico City. Under his coaching I became the National Mexican Champion in 200 meters breaststroke in 1959.