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Duncan Laing CNZM OBE 

(1933-2008)​​​​​​​

National

Surf Lifesaving

1954 - NZ Surf Lifesaving Representative

1956 - Captain of NZ Surf Lifesaving Team

Swimming

1970 - Coached first NZ swim team to Edinburgh Commonwealth Games

1972 - Coached first NZ Olympic Games swim representative to Munich

1974,1990,1994, 2006 - NZ Swim Coach at Commonwealth Games

1976,1992,1994,2006 - NZ Swim Coach at Olympic Games

1987, 1993 - Coach at Pan-Pacific events

1992 - Coached Danyon Loader to Olympic Silver Medal 200m Fly - Barcelona

1996 - Coached Danyon Loader to two Olympic Gold medals (200m, 400m free)

Coached Philip Rush - World record holder for the fastest two and three way swim of the English Channel

1992, 1996 Coached Jenny Newstead to Paralympic success

Honours

1992, 1996 NZ Coach of the Year - Halberg Awards

1993 - Awarded the OBE

1996 - Made a Life Member of Swimming NZ

2005 - Inducted into NZ Sports Hall of Fame

2006 - Made a Companion of the NZ Order of Merit

Provincial

Taranaki - Rugby

1952-1955 - 28 first class matches

New Plymouth Star Rugby Club

Taranaki - Swimming

1944-1950 - Numerous titles

1963-65 - Taranaki Swimming Coach

1947-49 - Swam in Flannagan Cup

1963 - Coached Jennifer Froggatt who became his first NZ champion. Coached several Taranaki swimmers to NZ titles

Taranaki - Surf Lifesaving

1951and 1953 - Winner of Nelson Shield with Fitzroy Surf Lifesaving Club

Waitara Surf Lifesaving Club

Otago - Swimming

1996-2006 - Coaching at Moana Pool

Otago - Rugby

1982-1985 - Otago Rugby Selector

Coached Senior Rugby Teams at Otago University, Dunedin, Pirates and Zingari Richmond clubs

Duncan Laing was an accomplished sportsman who coached generations of swimmers – taking many to the pinnacle of their sport.

Laing is perhaps most well-known for coaching Olympian Danyon Loader, who won two gold medals at the 1996 Olympic Games and a silver medal at Barcelona in 1992. However, he influenced many other top-level swimmers, including Philip Rush, who set records for swimming the English Channel, and Jenny Newstead, who had Paralympic success.

Laing was born in New Plymouth and rose to sporting prominence in both swimming and rugby, playing 28 first class matches for the provincial side from 1952-1955 and picked up numerous swimming titles during the 1940s. He was also a strong surf lifesaver, winning the Nelson Shield with the Fitzroy Surf Lifesaving Club.

He was operating at New Plymouth’s Kawaroa Pool as a volunteer swim coach and had built a home alongside New Plymouth's Rugby Park in the hope of picking up rugby coaching opportunities but plans changed when he saw an advertisement in the New Zealand Herald for a swim coach at Dunedin's Moana Pool. He went on to spend forty years coaching swimmers of all ages and levels, becoming an institution in the southern city. His involvement in rugby continued, coaching senior club rugby teams and was a selector for the provincial side from 1982 -1985.