Bolling a name to be reckoned with in Sri Lankan Swimming

Leslie Fernando

Julian Bolling was a swimmer par excellence and stand as the only Sri Lankan to participate in three consecutive Olympic Games-Los Angeles in 1984, Seoul in 1988, Barcelona in 1992.

Its no doubt a rare honour to be an olympian thrice. He performed well at the South Asian Federation Games. In all he brought honour and glory to Sri Lanka by bringing a haul of Gold Medals. In 1987 Julian won 3 golds and in 1989 he got 4 golds and in 1991 he collected 6 gold medals. In 1984 in an international meet Julian bagged 2 gold medals so the tally of Gold stands at 15.

Julian Bolling Picture by Kavindra Perera

Former Royal and Sri Lankan swimming captain was also a very good waterpolo player and represented Sri Lanka at the Asian Waterpolo Tournament in Thailand. He had the honour of captaining the Royal College Union Aquatic Club at waterpolo in addition to swimming.

In addition to being an ace swimmer and good waterpolo player Julian was also a good administrator. He held the post of Secretary NAASU when Mike Anthonisz was the President and that fine diver Anusha Abeysinghe was the Treasurer of NAASU. Julian had held the post of National coach, Director Coaching, and coach of Rainbow Aquatic Club and one of the founders of the club.

He also has managed swimming teams, as manager cum coach.

He never had an idea of becoming a swimmer but with his mother Tara Bolling, a swimming prodigy herself who had represented Sri Lanka in the Commonwealth Games and Asian during the 1950’s and two brothers Jeromy and David first got into the pool as a kid of 6 years. David swam for Sri Lanka in 1979 and Jeromy was in the national pool in 1979.

He first brought glory to Royal College from 1977 to 1982 under the coaching of G. A. Wilson a famous national record holder in the 100 metres back stroke. From then on Tara took over the daunting task of training the golden boy of swimming in Sri Lanka.

Julian proved his class in 1979 when he joined his two elder brothers Jeromy and David (both Royalists) to represent Sri Lanka in the Indo-Sri Lanka- Bangladesh Swimming Triangular Meet. He was just 13 and he won a silver for the 1500 metres free style.

David won a gold medal. He added further laurels to his collection of victories through successive SAF Games from 1984 to 1991, participating in three Olympic Games and participating in two Asian games in 1982 and 1986 in New Delhi and Seoul - three finals but Julian was placed sixth in 400 m free style and 1500 m free style.

Tracing Julian’s family history, sports is part and parcel and runs in his blood. His mother Tara and her sister Usha-Neil Chanmugam’s wife both good swimmers but Tara excelled.

Julian’s grandfather is late Col. F. C. de Saram, that’s Julian’s mother’s father was an outstanding cricketer, Col. Saram’s brother was a cricketer. Col. Sara’s son Dijan played for S. Thomas’ and Julian’s father late Ralph Bolling played cricket for St. Joseph’s College in 1952. That year Josephians recorded the biggest victory in the Joe-Pete Big Match.

Having obtained a Marketing Degree from the University of Clarion, Pennsylvania, USA, Julian returned to Sri Lanka in 1992 worked at American Express Bank for few months and later at Nestles.

Hailing from a famous family of swimming stars Julian Bolling having a career in marketing sounded promising but he realised that this was not his calling and took to waters yet again.

He joined his parents who had founded the Rainbow Aquatic Club and began to give back to the sport that gave him so much.

The Rainbow Academy was established to train adults and children in swimming and life-saving and while the Academy’s main aim was to teach children and adults to swim and save souls from the water, it also became the force behind future swimming legends who continued to bring victory to Sri Lanka in the international arena.

With a collection of 15 Gold Medals while he was in competitive swimming Julian’s love for swimming never diminished and he continues to bring glory to Sri Lanka as a coach while giving back to the sport to date.