Vale Rick Mitchell

Vale Richard Charles 'Rick' Mitchell (24 Mar 1955 - 30 May 2021)

Athletics Australia is saddened by the passing of AA Hall of Famer Rick Mitchell – Olympic silver medallist, Commonwealth and National Champion.

Rick was a relatively late starter to the sport, beginning athletics at age 17 with the Waverley Athletics Club to improve his fitness for an upcoming rugby union season. After two years in the sport he fortuitously crossed paths with Norm Osborne who became his coach for the rest of his track and field career.

After transferring to Norm’s club, St Stephen’s Harriers, 19 year-old Rick surprised everyone at the 1974 Nationals in Melbourne with a second place in the 400 metres in 47.7 seconds a feat he repeated in 1975 in a faster 47.0 - again behind New South Welshman, Steve Gee.

Like most athletes in those days Rick combined education, employment and athletics, working at Dulux Australia as a research chemist whilst also studying. Despite the workload, he won the 1976 national title in Melbourne in 46.59 and was selected for that year’s Olympic Games.

In Montreal Rick “warmed up” for the 400m by running in the heats of the 200m, easily qualifying in 21.91. He withdrew from the quarter-finals to concentrate on the longer distance. There he finished second in his heat in 46.11 and later that same day won his quarter-final heat in 45.76, ahead of eventual gold medallist Cuban Alberto Juantorena. Rick improved again to 45.69 for fourth place in the first semi-final, earning a prized spot in the final. There he ran his usual steady race - coming home strongly to finish sixth in yet another personal best of 45.40.

He ran his third event of those Games when he anchored the 4x400 metres relay team in the heats of that event. The team which also included Max Binnington, Peter Grant and Don Hanly placed fifth in 3.05.75 and were unfortunately eliminated.

Back home in 1977, Rick won another national title in 46.6 and was selected to represent Oceania in the inaugural IAAF World Cup in West Germany. The 400m in Dusseldorf was controversial as Olympic champion Alberto Juantorena claimed he missed the start after finishing third. His protest was upheld with the race re-run the next day but Rick who had finished seventh in the original race in 46.71 declined to run again. He ran in the 4x400 relay team which finished sixth.

Surprisingly Rick was beaten at the 1978 Nationals in Brisbane by 800 metres specialist John Higham, who ran 45.9 to his 46.2. But the main aim that year was the Commonwealth Games, for which he was selected after mid-year Trials in Brisbane. In Edmonton, Rick won his heat, quarter and semi-final and then triumphed in a very windy final in 46.34 over Trinidad’s Joseph Coombs. Later he anchored the 4x400 team to a bronze medal.

Rick missed most of 1979 due to injury but came back strongly in November and produced a fine domestic season - culminating in another Australian title in a fast 45.35 national record in Sydney. He was selected for the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow which were affected by the American led boycott over Afghanistan. Rick was in excellent form, qualifying easily in his heat in 46.63 before winning his quarter final in 45.73 and claiming second in 45.48 in his semi.

Not for the first time, the final saw Rick well back in the field as they came off the home turn. But he produced a strong finish to race past his opponents and just failed to catch the Soviet Viktor Markin who ran 44.60 to Rick’s in 44.84 – a time that would remain his personal best. At that time, it was number 12 on the world all-time list. The absence of the US runners in Moscow did not detract from his achievement, for Rick had beaten them prior to the Olympics and including post-Games races, he was only headed by one man for the year.

Rick ran only in the 200m at the 1981 Nationals finishing third in 21.12 and not at all in the following edition. However after a good European tour, he was back for the selection trials for the 1982 Brisbane Commonwealth Games. Not only did he make the team but was selected as Australia’s flag bearer for the Opening Ceremony – a huge honour for any athlete, but especially so at a home Games.

Again there were four rounds of the 400m due to the large entry list and the semi-finals and final were held on the same day. Rick’s competitive instincts shone as he progressed through to the final in which he took silver behind the powerful Jamaican, Bert Cameron. Rick led the relay team home to silver, a 45.4 finishing leg not quite enough to catch the English team.

By now injuries were a regular battle, forcing him to miss the 1983 Nationals but Rick was there again a year later, finishing third. He was selected for his third Olympics - in 1984 to be held in Los Angeles. The individual spots for the 400m were not decided until the runners were in the Village. Rick was disappointed in not gaining an individual berth but there was compensation with a relay spot. He anchored the team to win their heat in 3.03.72, before being rested for the semi-final.

In the final, the Australians ran faster than ever – a national record of 2.59.70, but sadly became the first team in Olympic history to not to win a medal after breaking three minutes. Rick ran a 45.39 anchor leg to complement the excellent runs of Bruce Frayne, Darren Clark and Gary Minihan, but they just fell short of the podium. In a nice touch, Rick hung onto the baton to give to Peter van Miltenburg who had run in the heats and semi-final.

Rick retired after the Games and became the inaugural Director of the Tasmanian Institute of Sport, before becoming a successful CEO and director of various organisations in racing, sport and business and turning his hand to sports commentary. Rick was the recipient of the Edwin Flack Award for 1988 and was inducted into the Athletics Australia Hall of Fame in 2011.

In recent years Rick joined Athletics Australia’s mentoring program. He became very active on social media providing his thoughts more generally for athletes and coaches on training and preparation. He was particularly outspoken on what he perceived as the newer generations’ reluctance to compete regularly during the domestic season – and was delighted to see the outcomes over the past two seasons when the pandemic eliminated other options.

Rick passed away after a private battle with prostate cancer. The Australian Athletics Family’s condolences are extended to his wife and fellow athlete Chris and sons – Ed, Joe, Alex and Ollie.

Athletics Australia Board Director and 1980 Olympic Teammate Chris Wardlaw said the passing of Rick was not only a personal loss but one that would impact the entire Australian athletics community.

"I had the pleasure of being Rick's roommate in Moscow when he won his Olympic silver medal. He was a great teammate and over the years, I got to know him really well as a fantastic, friendly and generous person," Wardlaw said.

"Rick was larger than life, and he had this star quality and charisma that not many could replicate. He was passionate and committed to his craft, to the point where even after he retired from elite competition, he became a mentor for younger athletes coming through the ranks. He was always hungry to do better, to train harder and do his country and his teammates proud, and those who were lucky enough to work with him are all better people and better athletes for it.

"On behalf of Athletics Australia, I'd like to send my condolences to Chris, Ed, Joe, Alex and Ollie, and may we all remember him as one of the greats of our sport."

Prepared by Paul Jenes and Brian Roe
Posted: 31/5/2021