Gail Neall - Post-Olympics

Post-Olympics

After the Olympics, Neall's partnership with Talbot was broken when he took up a coaching position in Canada. She started training with his assistant Ruth Everuss, but the pair did not produce the desired results. Neall took an extended break from swimming to complete her Higher School Certificate and won a scholarship to Kuring-gai College of Advanced Education to train as a primary school teacher. The interrupted swimming regime saw a decline in her times at the 1973 Australian Championships in Adelaide, as she could defend neither of her titles. She placed second in the 400 m individual medley and third in the 200 m butterfly. The selectors persisted with her and chose her for the International Coca-Cola Meet in London and the World Championship in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. After the European trip, Neall went to Thunder Bay in Canada to train with Talbot for three months. She competed in the Canadian season, setting three Canadian all-comers records.

In 1974, she returned to Australia and resumed training with Gathercole. She won both medley events and the 200 m butterfly and was selected for the Commonwealth Games.

At the 1974 Commonwealth Games in Christchurch, New Zealand, Neall had faded from her peak times. Although she won a bronze in the 200 m butterfly in 2 m 21.66 s, her performance in the 400 sm individual medley was 10 seconds slower than her personal best, and left her last in the final. She retired after returning to Australia.

One of the pools at the Ryde Swimming Complex was named after her.

Neall met her farmer-grazier husband while teaching in rural New South Wales, and they settled in Merrygoen. She ceased her involvement in swimming as there was no pool in the vicinity of the area, which was also frequently drought-stricken. The couple had four children, including twins.

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