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Graeme Jose
Whyalla's First Olympian
Graeme
Jose, Whyalla's First Olympian, was the South Australian and
Australian Road Champion and had competed with distinction in the
1972 Munich Olympic Games. Finishing 17th out of 35 in the Teams
Time Trial (2:18.00.4) and 29th out of 75 in the Road Race
(4:15.21.0).
Tragically he was killed in an accident as he competed in the World Peace
Road Race in the Austrian Alps.
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With thanks to Paul Smyth, who provided the following obituary,
written by Ron O'Donnell that was excerpted from the Australian
Cycling Magazine, 1973.
AUSTRALIAN CYCLING MAGAZINE
The Challenge
Vol 3 - No 5
August - September, 1973
- VALE Graeme Jose
Born
Wilmington, South Australia 21.11.51, died Feldkirch, Austria
23.6.73 – Aged 21 years 7 months. “Legsie” Jose is no more a
cycling athlete. No more will we hear those sly quips in his gentle
toned voice. Was he serious? Was he jovial? Or was he only
“stirring?” Only his friends could tell and they were not always
sure. No more will we see his hirsute face radiated by the
questioning puckishness that was so typical of him. No more
can we see those lanky legs thumping up and down – their power truly
understood only by those endeavouring to match his speed.
Graeme Jose became Whyalla's most internationally famous son – its
first Olympian – it's first national cycling champion and its No. 1
Sportsman. The 1968 Olympic trackmen gave him the necessary
incentive when they trained in Whyalla for their pre-Games
conditioning. He attended their lectures, he listened, he watched
and he learnt. Paradoxically road cycling became his great
love though he was no mean “trackie” and indeed he was the 1973
South Australian pursuit champion.
Yet Whyalla (50' above sea level) almost flat, hardly measures up as
the ideal surroundings to develop a road champion. The nearest
hills are near Quorn almost 70 miles away, the roads are “dead” and
the winds unfriendly. But thrive he did. Somehow he managed
to ride to Quorn for those energy sapping climbs. Somehow he
tallied up hundreds and then thousands of miles. Professional
rider John Murray fanned the flame. John's home revolves around
bikes. He lives bikes, sleeps bikes, and talks bikes and his
wonderful wife Pat puts up with bikes and bike riders. Into
this environment stepped Graeme Jose. Here he was nurtured and here
he was guided conscientiously and intelligently. John Murray become
his friend and mentor and the combination proved very fruitful.
“Legsie” rode the 1971 Australian senior Road title around Sydney's
Centennial Park. He thrilled the South Australian camp with his
“flyer” at three laps to go and only the alertness of John Trevorrow
and Dick Paris cost him that title. This was a taste of the
Jose style for he was the least distressed of all the finishers and
might easily have ridden the course again. Graeme paid me a
treasured compliment when he wrote and asked guidance to prepare for
the Munich Games Selection tests. My answer was for him to repeat
whatever he did in 1971 for he had obviously found a suitable method
of his own.
The rest is history but who can forget his bridging ride to catch
his great friend “Blackie” Don Allan in Brisbane. He was
modest in victory and was truly surprised at the Munich Team
announcement. Those pre-Games training times in Victoria
enhanced his abilities and his reputation. He made friends, he
was accepted, he was feared in competition, and he proved himself a
top class road cyclist.
It was my privilege to become very closely associated with Graeme.
We shared together all those pre-embarkation obligations. The
medicals, the public appearances, the farewells and the travel.
I helped him and he reciprocated. He built a bridge of
communication to other team members. Then came those wonderful
Munich days. Everyone worked hard there and raced even harder.
Nobody was more diligent than Graeme Jose and his three second
places and one third placing in pre-Games international events
reflect his efforts. His final lap in the Games road race was
tremendous.
I know I speak for all the Olympic team when I say we loved and
respected him. His decision to travel again to Europe this
year was a momentous one and it was his own. It did not come easy
and meant postponing his engineering studies. It cost him his job
and ultimately his life. What a tragic blow to his family, his
club, his town, his State, his country and to his sport. What
sadness for a life to be extinguished with such wonderful prospects
unfulfilled.
We who mourn him extend our heartfelt sympathy to his family, but
what can we say to lessen their loss. We grieve with them and
perhaps this sharing of sadness will bring solace to them.
Cycling in Whyalla, in South Australia, and in Australia has
suffered a great and irreplaceable loss.
The Graeme Jose record is outstanding: Who can believe that his two
Amateur Sport Club Memorial Medal awards, his Lindy award, his
Caltex Sport award, his State and National titles, his Olympic
selection took a mere 18 months to acquire. His racing record
is too long and involved to repeat but he will never lose his hard
won championships for he died South Australian and Australian senior
road champion – doing what he loved while representing the country
he loved.
Farewell mate, we are all proud of you, and I hope we are all good
enough to meet you again.
Sincerely
Ron O'Donnell
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