Angela Coughlan
Encyclopedia
Angela Denise Coughlan, O.Ont.
(October 4, 1952 – June 14, 2009) was a Canadian swimmer. At the peak of her competitive swimming career from 1968 to 1971, she was the best Canadian female freestyle specialist, going undefeated in freestyle events at Canadian meets during that time, as well as breaking a world record and 13 Canadian records. As part of the Canadian national swim team, she anchored the 4x100m freestyle and 4x100m medley relay teams, and earned both individual and team relay medals at the 1967 Pan American Games, the 1968 Olympics, the 1970 Commonwealth Games and the 1971 Pan American Games. Named Canadian Female Athlete of the Year in 1970, she retired from competitive swimming in 1972 at the age of 19. Part of her post-competitive career was spent as a swim coach and mentor to younger swimmers.
at the age of 7, where she attended Elizabeth Gardens Public School and M.M. Robinson High School
. While still quite young, she showed early promise as a swimmer, and was willing to set aside everything in order to practice.
in Winnipeg
, Manitoba
, Canada
, where she won a silver (4x 100m freestyle) and three bronze medals (200m freestyle, 400m freestyle, 800m freestyle).
At the 1968 Olympics
in Mexico City
, she swam in four individual events as well as the relays. Despite fighting a stomach ailment, she qualified for the finals in all four individual freestyle events, finishing 7th in the 100m, 200m and 400m, and 6th in the 800m. She earned a bronze medal as a member of the 4x100m freestyle team.
At the 1970 Commonwealth Games in Scotland
, Coughlan earned a gold (100 m freestyle), two silvers (200m freestyle, 400m freestyle, 4x100m freestyle) and a bronze (4x100m medley). For this effort, she was named the 1970 Canadian Female Athlete of the Year and Canadian Female Swimmer of the Year.
At the 1971 Pan American Games
in Colombia
, she earned a gold anchoring the 4x100m medley, and three silvers (4x100m freestyle, 100m freestyle, 200m freestyle).
In addition, she won 23 Canadian championships and swept all Canadian freestyle events from 1968 to 1971. During that time, she broke one world record and 13 Canadian long-course freestyle records.
She spent much of the 1970s as a swim coach before becoming a massage therapist, and was a familiar sight at competitive swim meets for the next 20 years. She married twice and had three daughters.
In recognition of her efforts in the pool, Coughlan was inducted into the Ontario Aquatic Hall of Fame in 1992, the Order of Ontario
in 1995, and the Burlington Hall of Fame in 2008.
in 2005, and succumbed in 2009 at the age of 56, only days before she was to be recognized at the annual Celebration of Significant People Concert in Hamilton, Ontario
.
Order of Ontario
The Order of Ontario is the most prestigious official honour in the Canadian province of Ontario. Instituted in 1986 by Lieutenant Governor Lincoln Alexander, on the advice of the Cabinet under Premier David Peterson, the civilian order is administered by the Governor-in-Council and is intended to...
(October 4, 1952 – June 14, 2009) was a Canadian swimmer. At the peak of her competitive swimming career from 1968 to 1971, she was the best Canadian female freestyle specialist, going undefeated in freestyle events at Canadian meets during that time, as well as breaking a world record and 13 Canadian records. As part of the Canadian national swim team, she anchored the 4x100m freestyle and 4x100m medley relay teams, and earned both individual and team relay medals at the 1967 Pan American Games, the 1968 Olympics, the 1970 Commonwealth Games and the 1971 Pan American Games. Named Canadian Female Athlete of the Year in 1970, she retired from competitive swimming in 1972 at the age of 19. Part of her post-competitive career was spent as a swim coach and mentor to younger swimmers.
Early life
Angela Coughlan was born in London, England before moving to Burlington, Ontario, CanadaBurlington, Ontario
Burlington , is a city located in Halton Region at the western end of Lake Ontario. Burlington is part of the Greater Toronto Area, and is also included in the Hamilton Census Metropolitan Area. Physically, Burlington lies between the north shore of Lake Ontario and the Niagara Escarpment...
at the age of 7, where she attended Elizabeth Gardens Public School and M.M. Robinson High School
M.M. Robinson High School
M.M. Robinson High School is a high school located in northern Burlington, Ontario, Canada, administered by the Halton District School Board. Founded in 1963, the school is named after the founder of the British Empire Games, Melville Marks Robinson, who was subsequently a Board member.The school,...
. While still quite young, she showed early promise as a swimmer, and was willing to set aside everything in order to practice.
Competitive Swimming
Coughlan qualified for the Canadian national swim team in 1966 at the age of 14, and first competed for Canada at the 1967 Pan American Games1967 Pan American Games
The 5th Pan American Games were held in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, from July 23 to August 6, 1967.Winnipeg was chosen as host of the Pan American Games on its second try. It first bid for the fourth Pan American Games at the 1959 PASO meeting in Chicago. It lost to São Paulo, Brazil...
in Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, where she won a silver (4x 100m freestyle) and three bronze medals (200m freestyle, 400m freestyle, 800m freestyle).
At the 1968 Olympics
1968 Summer Olympics
The 1968 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Mexico City, Mexico in October 1968. The 1968 Games were the first Olympic Games hosted by a developing country, and the first Games hosted by a Spanish-speaking country...
in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
, she swam in four individual events as well as the relays. Despite fighting a stomach ailment, she qualified for the finals in all four individual freestyle events, finishing 7th in the 100m, 200m and 400m, and 6th in the 800m. She earned a bronze medal as a member of the 4x100m freestyle team.
At the 1970 Commonwealth Games in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, Coughlan earned a gold (100 m freestyle), two silvers (200m freestyle, 400m freestyle, 4x100m freestyle) and a bronze (4x100m medley). For this effort, she was named the 1970 Canadian Female Athlete of the Year and Canadian Female Swimmer of the Year.
At the 1971 Pan American Games
1971 Pan American Games
The 6th Pan American Games were held in Cali, Colombia, from July 30 to August 13, 1971. The then called "Salsa World Capital", located at the foot of the Andes Mountains, hosted a total of 2,935 athletes from 32 countries, who participated in seventeen sports...
in Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, she earned a gold anchoring the 4x100m medley, and three silvers (4x100m freestyle, 100m freestyle, 200m freestyle).
In addition, she won 23 Canadian championships and swept all Canadian freestyle events from 1968 to 1971. During that time, she broke one world record and 13 Canadian long-course freestyle records.
Retirement from swimming and later life
Coughlan retired from competitive swimming in 1972 while still a teenager. That same year, her home city of Burlington opened a new swimming facility attached to her high school that included an indoor 6-lane 25-metre swimming pool. It was named the Angela Coughlan Indoor Pool, an honour that embarrassed the shy 19-year-old.She spent much of the 1970s as a swim coach before becoming a massage therapist, and was a familiar sight at competitive swim meets for the next 20 years. She married twice and had three daughters.
In recognition of her efforts in the pool, Coughlan was inducted into the Ontario Aquatic Hall of Fame in 1992, the Order of Ontario
Order of Ontario
The Order of Ontario is the most prestigious official honour in the Canadian province of Ontario. Instituted in 1986 by Lieutenant Governor Lincoln Alexander, on the advice of the Cabinet under Premier David Peterson, the civilian order is administered by the Governor-in-Council and is intended to...
in 1995, and the Burlington Hall of Fame in 2008.
Death
She was diagnosed with multiple myelomaMultiple myeloma
Multiple myeloma , also known as plasma cell myeloma or Kahler's disease , is a cancer of plasma cells, a type of white blood cell normally responsible for the production of antibodies...
in 2005, and succumbed in 2009 at the age of 56, only days before she was to be recognized at the annual Celebration of Significant People Concert in Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
.