16 Apr 2012

Murray Rose dies of cancer

6:47 am on 16 April 2012

Australian swimming's golden boy of the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games Murray Rose has died of leukaemia at the age of 73.

Murray Rose won three of his four Olympic gold medals in Melbourne at the age of 17.

He followed that up at the Rome Olympics in 1960, retaining his 400m freestyle crown - the first swimmer to do so - and winning a silver medal in the 1500m event behind fellow Australian John Konrads.

Rose, who was born in England, was brought to Australia by his parents at the outbreak of World War II.

He had the Hollywood looks and had roles in Ride the Wild Surf and Ice Station Zebra.