View source for Victor Davis

{{Short description|Canadian swimmer (1964–1989)}}
{{for|the Australian rules footballer|Victor Davis (footballer)}}
{{use Canadian English|date=September 2024}}
{{Infobox swimmer
| name           = Victor Nicolas Davis<br>{{nobold|{{post-nominals|country=CAN|CM}}}}
| image          = <!-- Only free-content images are allowed for depicting living people -- see [[WP:NONFREE]]. -->
| image_size     = <!-- Only for images narrower than 220 pixels -->
| alt            =
| caption        = 
| fullname       = Victor Nicolas Davis
| nicknames      = 
| national_team  = Canada
| strokes        = [[Breaststroke]], [[butterfly stroke|butterfly]], [[medley swimming|individual medley]]
| club           = Region of Waterloo Swim Club, Pointe-Claire Swim Club
| collegeteam    = 
| birth_date     = {{Birth date|1964|2|10|mf=y}}
| birth_place    = [[Guelph, Ontario]], Canada
| death_date     = {{Death date and age|1989|11|13|1964|2|10|mf=y}}
| death_place    = [[Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec|Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue]], [[Quebec]], Canada
| height         = {{convert|1.88|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| weight         = {{convert|87|kg|lb|abbr=on}}
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalSport | Men's swimming}}
{{MedalCountry | Canada}}
{{MedalCompetition | [[Swimming at the Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]}}
{{MedalGold  | [[Swimming at the 1984 Summer Olympics|1984 Los Angeles]] | [[Swimming at the 1984 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metre breaststroke|200 m breaststroke]]}}
{{MedalSilver | 1984 Los Angeles| [[Swimming at the 1984 Summer Olympics – Men's 100 metre breaststroke|100 m breaststroke]]}}
{{MedalSilver | 1984 Los Angeles | [[Swimming at the 1984 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metre medley relay|4×100 m medley]]}}
{{MedalSilver | [[Swimming at the 1988 Summer Olympics|1988 Seoul]] | [[Swimming at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metre medley relay|4×100 m medley]]}}
{{MedalCompetition | [[FINA World Aquatics Championships|World Championships (LC)]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[1982 World Aquatics Championships|1982 Guayaquil]] | 200 m breaststroke}}
{{MedalGold | [[1986 World Aquatics Championships|1986 Madrid]] | 100 m breaststroke}}
{{MedalSilver | 1982 Guayaquil | 100 m breaststroke}}
{{MedalSilver | 1986 Madrid | 200 m breaststroke}}
{{MedalCompetition | [[Pan Pacific Swimming Championships|Pan Pacific Championships]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[1987 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships|1987 Brisbane]] | 100 m breaststroke}}
{{MedalBronze | 1987 Brisbane | 200 m breaststroke}}
{{MedalCompetition | [[Commonwealth Games]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[1982 Commonwealth Games|1982 Brisbane]] | 200 m breaststroke}}
{{MedalGold | [[1986 Commonwealth Games|1986 Edinburgh]] | 100 m breaststroke}}
{{MedalGold | 1986 Edinburgh | [[Swimming at the 1986 Commonwealth Games – Men's 4 × 100 metre medley relay|4×100 m medley]]}}
{{MedalSilver | 1982 Brisbane | 100 m breaststroke}}
{{MedalSilver | 1986 Edinburgh | 200 m breaststroke}}
}}

'''Victor Nicolas Davis''', [[Order of Canada|CM]] (February 10, 1964 – November 13, 1989) was a Canadian Olympic and world champion [[swimming (sport)|swimmer]] who specialized in the [[breaststroke]].  He also enjoyed success in the [[Medley swimming|individual medley]] and the [[butterfly stroke|butterfly]].

==Biography==
Victor Davis was born in [[Guelph]], [[Ontario]].  As a boy, Davis learned how to swim in the lakes around his home. He then joined the Guelph Marlin Aquatic Club at the age of 12.

During his career, Davis held several world records as the winner of 31 national titles and 16 medals in international competition. At the 1982 world championships in Guayaquil, Ecuador, he set his first world record while winning the gold medal in the 200-metre breaststroke.

At the [[1984 Summer Olympics]] in Los Angeles, California, he won a silver medal in the 100-meter breaststroke event, then captured the gold medal in the 200-metre breaststroke, in the process establishing another world record. In recognition of his accomplishments, Davis was named Swimming Canada's Athlete of the Year three times and the Canadian government made him a Member of the [[Order of Canada]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gg.ca/honour.aspx?id=400&t=12&ln=Davis|title=Order of Canada - Victor Davis|work=Governor General of Canada|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924050244/http://www.gg.ca/honour.aspx?id=400&t=12&ln=Davis|archive-date=24 September 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>

A star of Canada's national swim team for nine years, he retired from competitive swimming in July 1989. He was voted into the [[Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame]] in 1985, and posthumously into [[Canada's Sports Hall of Fame]] in 1990, and the [[International Swimming Hall of Fame]] in 1994.<ref name=ishofprofile>{{cite web |url=http://www.ishof.org/victor-davis.html |title=Victor Davis (CAN) |website=ISHOF.org |publisher=[[International Swimming Hall of Fame]] |access-date=March 16, 2015 |archive-date=April 2, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402131816/http://www.ishof.org/victor-davis.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Death==

A few months after his retirement, on November 11, 1989, while outside a nightclub in the [[Montreal]] suburb of [[Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec|Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue]], Davis was struck by a car driven by Glen Crossley, who fled the scene.<ref>{{cite news |first=Elliott |last=Almond |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-11-14-sp-1756-story.html |title=Swimmer Victor Davis, 25, Dies of Injuries |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=November 14, 1989 }}</ref> Crossley told police he hit Davis while trying to avoid a juice bottle Davis threatened to throw at the vehicle and didn't realize he made contact with the swimmer. However, other testimony showed that Davis was actually hit from behind and thrown {{convert|14|m|abbr=on}} in the air before hitting his head on a parked car and a street curb.<ref name="sher">{{cite news|url=http://thestar.com|title=Man who killed Victor Davis in 1989 charged in 2016 death|last=Woods|first=Allan|newspaper=[[Toronto Star]]|access-date=January 10, 2017}}</ref> Two days later, the 25-year-old swimmer died of a severe [[skull fracture]] as well as [[brain hemorrhage]] and spinal hemorrhage in hospital. In February 1992, Crossley was found guilty of leaving the scene of an accident and sentenced to ten months in prison, ultimately serving four months.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.thesuburbannews.ca/content/en/2292 |title=The Suburban.com – News – Victor Davis memory lives on through brother's efforts |access-date=2010-03-02 |archive-date=2013-09-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130903000702/http://www.thesuburbannews.ca/content/en/2292 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Legacy==
Davis's parents fulfilled his express wish that his organs be donated to help save the lives of others. The swimmer's heart, liver, kidneys and corneas were transplanted.

Each year since his death, awards are made by the Victor Davis Memorial Fund to help young Canadian swimmers continue their education while training. Thirteen recipients of this award participated in the [[2008 Summer Olympics]].<ref>[https://www.swimming.ca/VictorDavisMemorialFundAwards.aspx Swimming Canada page for the Victor Davis Memorial Fund]. A list of recipients can be accessed from this page.</ref> In 2002, Victor Davis was inducted into the [[Ontario Sports Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Victor Davis |url=http://oshof.ca/index.php/honoured-members/item/49-victor-davis |website=oshof.ca |publisher=[[Ontario Sports Hall of Fame]] |access-date=25 September 2014 |archive-date=28 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141228125554/http://www.oshof.ca/index.php/honoured-members/item/49-victor-davis |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In Guelph, the city named the 50m swimming pool in honour of Victor Davis.

==Film==
Davis's life, death and legacy were remembered in ''[[Victor (2008 film)|Victor]]'', a two-hour biographical drama film that was written by the Canadian former swimmer [[Mark Lutz (actor)|Mark Lutz]], who also appeared in the title role.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0840024/ |title=Victor: His Name, His Mission |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=1 Oct 2009 |website=imdb.com |publisher=imdb.com, Inc. |access-date= 11 Jan 2017}}</ref>

==Career highlights==
'''[[1982 World Aquatics Championships]]''' – [[Guayaquil]], [[Ecuador]]
*Gold medal – 200 m breaststroke (world record 2:14.77, breaking the old record of 2:15.11 set by [[David Wilkie (swimmer)|David Wilkie]] in 1976)
*Silver medal – 100 m breaststroke

'''[[1982 Commonwealth Games]]''' – [[Brisbane]], [[Australia]]
*Gold medal – 200 m Breaststroke
*Silver medal – 100 m Breaststroke

'''1984 Canadian Olympic Trials''' – [[Etobicoke, Ontario]], Canada
*Won the 200 m breaststroke (broke his own world record with a time of 2:14.58, bettering his 1982 time)

'''[[1984 Summer Olympics]]''' – Los Angeles, United States
*Gold medal – 200 m breaststroke (established world record at 2:13.34, lowering his own 1984 record time)
*Silver medal – 100 m breaststroke
*Silver medal – 4 × 100 m medley relay

'''[[1986 Commonwealth Games]]''' – [[Edinburgh]], [[Scotland]]
*Gold medal – 4 × 100 m medley relay
*Gold medal – 100 m breaststroke
*Silver medal – 200 m breaststroke

'''[[1986 World Aquatics Championships]]''' – [[Madrid]], [[Spain]]
*Gold medal – 100 m breaststroke
*Silver medal – 200 m breaststroke

'''[[1988 Summer Olympics]]''' – [[Seoul]], [[South Korea]]
*Silver medal – 4 × 100 m medley relay (1.00.90 split)
*Fourth place – 100 m breaststroke (1.02.38)

'''Canadian National Championships''' (including separate trials meets)
*17-time national champion, 100 m breaststroke
*14-time national champion, 200 m breaststroke
*2-time national champion, 200 m butterfly
*2-time national champion, 200 m individual medley
*1 national championship, 400 m individual medley

==See also==
* [[List of members of the International Swimming Hall of Fame]]
* [[List of Commonwealth Games medallists in swimming (men)]]
* [[List of Olympic medalists in swimming (men)]]
* [[World record progression 200 metres breaststroke]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*[https://www.myspace.com/victordavisfilm Official Victor Davis Movie Site]
*[http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/sports/story.html?id=1e5629d3-d358-44b9-8ebd-f776c0e5f5a8&k=66794 See Dave Stubbs review of the making of the movie here.]
*{{IMDb title|qid=Q3548511|title=Victor (a film about Victor Davis)}}
*[http://www.swimnews.com/Magazine/2000/2000jan.pdf Swimnews Magazine in 2000 ran a retrospective on Davis, see pages 6 – 7.].
*[http://www.csca.org/gmac/victordavis/victordavis.htm Victor Davis Memorial Fund page – part of Guelph Marlin Aquatic Club website]
*[https://www.swimming.ca/VictorDavisMemorialFundAwards.aspx Victor Davis Memorial Fund Page - Swimming Canada]
*[http://www.cbc.ca/archives/categories/sports/swimming/swimming-general/1984-los-angeles-victor-davis-profile.html CBC (TV) Archives] looking back at the 1984 LA Olympics
*{{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080209121310/http://www.cshof.ca/accessible/hm_profile.php?i=401 |date=February 9, 2008 |title=Canadian Sports Hall of Fame profile of Victor Davis}}
* {{Team Canada|victor-davis}}
* {{Olympics.com profile|victor-davis|org_archive=20210115165201}}
* {{Olympedia}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-ach|rec}}
{{succession box | before=[[David Wilkie (swimmer)|David Wilkie]] | title=[[World record progression 200 metres breaststroke|Men's 200-metre breaststroke<br>world record-holder (long course)]] | years=August 5, 1982 – August 4, 1989 | after=[[Mike Barrowman]]|rec}}
{{s-end}}
{{Footer Olympic Champions 200 m Breaststroke Men}}
{{Footer World LC Champions 100m Breaststroke Men}}
{{Footer World LC Champions 200m Breaststroke Men}}
{{Footer Commonwealth Champions 100m Breaststroke Men}}
{{Footer Commonwealth Champions 200m Breaststroke Men}}
{{Footer Commonwealth Champions 4x100m Medley Men}}
{{Footer Pan Pacific Champions 100m Breaststroke Men}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Victor}}
[[Category:1964 births]]
[[Category:1989 deaths]]
[[Category:Accidental deaths in Quebec]]
[[Category:Canadian male backstroke swimmers]]
[[Category:Canadian male breaststroke swimmers]]
[[Category:Canadian male medley swimmers]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists for Canada]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists in swimming]]
[[Category:Deaths from head injury]]
[[Category:World record setters in swimming]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1984 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1988 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Members of the Order of Canada]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for Canada]]
[[Category:Olympic silver medalists for Canada]]
[[Category:Olympic swimmers for Canada]]
[[Category:Pedestrian road incident deaths]]
[[Category:Road incident deaths in Canada]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Guelph]]
[[Category:Swimmers at the 1984 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Swimmers at the 1988 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Swimmers from Ontario]]
[[Category:World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists in swimming]]
[[Category:Olympic silver medalists in swimming]]
[[Category:Swimmers at the 1982 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Swimmers at the 1986 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Medallists at the 1982 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Medallists at the 1986 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:20th-century Canadian sportsmen]]