| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 6 July 1943 Sydney, Australia |
| Died | 7 March 2005 (aged 61) Tweed River, Australia |
| Sport | |
| Country | Australia |
| Sport | Swimming |
Terrence William "Terry" Buck[1] was an Australian swimmer and coach. He represented Australia at the 1964 Summer Olympics in the 400m individual medley and placed eighth.[2] He was the first Australian swimmer to first participate at the Olympics as both an athlete and a coach.[1] He was head coach in the 1984 Summer Olympics, and team manager in 1992 and 1996.[3] Buck was also a surf lifesaver and a life member of the Clovelly Surf Club in New South Wales.[3] He died in a tractor accident on his farm, leaving behind his wife Laraine and three daughters.[3][4]
In 2003, Greg Rogers filed a civil lawsuit against Buck, accusing him of repeated sexual assault beginning in 1960 when Rogers was 11 and Buck 16. He also claimed that his younger brother, Neil, was sexually abused from the age of eight.[4] This was settled outside court.[5] After Buck's death, the The Daily Telegraph published an interview with an unnamed "Olympic and Commonwealth medalist" who made public charges of having experienced abuse at Buck's hands as a child.[6] Whilst the interviewee's name was not disclosed, he was widely known to be Rogers.[7] The publicity prompted Paul Shearer to come forward with allegations of abuse by an unnamed Australian swimming coach.[8] Police Strike Force Solano had begun private investigations into the matter in 1998, but dismissed it in 2001 as lacking evidence.[9] His widow has denied all allegations.[10] She said that she had "trusted" Rogers, who had been the godfather of their late daughter, Sarah, and that having "looked at it from every angle, I can say with certainty in my heart ... that they are lies."[10]