Ron Jacks
| Biographical details | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | January 23, 1948 Winnipeg, Manitoba | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 71 kg (157 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | Indiana University | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1965-1972 | Indiana University Coach James "Doc" Counsilman 1964, 1968, 1972 Olympics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Positions | Butterfly, freestyle | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1972-1974 | Arbutus Swim Club Vancouver Pacific SC Vancouver, B.C. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1974-1984 | Hyack Swim Club New Westminster, Vancouver | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1984-1988 | Victoria Amateur Swim Club Victoria, B.C. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1988-2002 | Island Swimming Club Victoria B.C. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2002-2022 | Pacific Coast Swimming Victoria B.C. Director, Coach | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005-2013 | Swimming Canada Open Water Coach | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022- | Pacific Coast Swimming Coach Emeritus | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Ronald Brian Jacks (born January 23, 1948) is a Canadian Olympic and international swimmer who competed in the 1960s and 1970s and later a Hall of Fame Canadian coach. In his collegiate career, he swam for the University of Indiana under legendary Hall of Fame Coach "Doc" James Counsilman. Jacks's coaching has produced finalists or semi-finalists at every Olympic Games since 1976. Since 2002, he has been a leading coach for Canadian swimmers such as Richard Weinberger through Victoria, British Columbia's Pacific Coast Swimming, which he helped to found. Pacific Coast Swimming has included many top-rated University of Victoria swimmers among its members. To date, Jacks has had three Olympic bronze medalists, which include Shannon Smith, Pam Rai and Richard Weinberger.
Jacks was born January 23, 1948, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and began swimming by the age of six. After moving with his family to Vancouver, British Columbia. in 1955, he trained and competed with the Vancouver 'Y' swim club, where he was managed by Canadian coach Ted Simpson. As a member of the "Y" club, Jacks won numerous medals at the 1964, 1965, and 1966 Canadian age-group national swimming championships.
He attended and swam for Indiana University from around 1966 to 1971, where he trained under James "Doc" Counsilman. An exceptional team during his swimming tenure, Indiana University won the NCAA Swimming and Diving Division I National Championship every year from 1968 to 1972. Among his teammates was Olympian Mark Spitz, who captured seven gold medals at the 1972 Summer Olympics. Jacks graduated from Indiana with a Bachelor of Science degree in zoology in 1971.