{{short description|Sri Lankan swimmer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2022}} {{Infobox swimmer | name = Julian Bolling | image = | image_size = <!-- Only for images narrower than 220 pixels --> | caption = | fullname = Julian Bolling | nicknames = | national_team = Sri Lanka | strokes = Freestyle Butterfly | club = bolling swimming academy | coach = Tara Bolling | collegeteam = | birth_date = {{Birth date|1966|6|19|df=y}} | birth_place = Colombo, Sri Lanka | height = 5'9" | weight = 70kg | show-medals = yes | medaltemplates = {{Medal|Sport|Men's swimming}} {{Medal|Country|{{SRI}}}} {{Medal|Competition|South Asian Games}} {{Medal|Gold|1991 Colombo|200 m freestyle}} {{Medal|Gold|1991 Colombo|400 m freestyle}} {{Medal|Gold|1991 Colombo|1500 m freestyle}} {{Medal|Gold|1991 Colombo|200 m butterfly}} {{Medal|Gold|1991 Colombo|400 m individual medley}} }}
Deshabandu '''Julian Bolling''' (born 19 June 1966)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/bo/julian-bolling-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417214329/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/bo/julian-bolling-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 April 2020 |title=Julian Bolling |accessdate=29 November 2016 |publisher=www.sports-reference.com}}</ref> is a Sri Lankan medal-winning swimmer who represented his country at numerous international competitions. He is fondly remembered as the poster boy of Sri Lankan swimming in the 1980s. He won 15 gold medals for Sri Lanka at the South Asian Games between 1984 and 1991.<ref>{{Cite web |title=At least a six-year plan is a must says Julian Bolling {{!}} The Sunday Times Sri Lanka |url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/121223/sports/at-least-a-six-year-plan-is-a-must-says-julian-bolling-25670.html |access-date=2022-08-17}}</ref> He also represented Sri Lanka at three Olympic Games, firstly at Los Angeles (USA) in 1984, then at Seoul (South Korea) in 1988, and finally at Barcelona (Spain) in 1992.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://archives.dailynews.lk/2006/08/19/spo30.asp |title=|| Sport}}</ref> He was the first Sri Lankan to participate in three consecutive Olympics (1984, 1988 and 1992).
== Biography == He is the son of Tara Bolling and cousin of Dipika Chanmugam, both of whom have represented Sri Lanka internationally. His mother and coach Tara Bolling née De Saram was a standout swimmer in the latter half of the 1960s represented Ceylon at the Tokyo Olympics.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Swimming doyenne Tara Bolling passes away - Breaking News {{!}} Daily Mirror |url=https://www.dailymirror.lk/breaking_news/Swimming-doyenne-Tara-Bolling-passes-away/108-134124 |access-date=2022-08-17 |website=www.dailymirror.lk |language=English}}</ref> He was coached by his mother from 1982. His grandfather Fredrick de Saram was a cricketer and infamous for having led the attempted military coup of 1962.<ref>{{cite web |title=The story of De Saram and Satha: batting geniuses who went to jail |url=http://www.thecricketmonthly.com/story/1181100/the-story-of-de-saram-and-satha--batting-geniuses-who-went-to-jail |access-date=17 August 2022 |work=The Cricket Monthly}}</ref>
== Career == He took up swimming while pursuing his education at Royal College and he first took part in an age group meet in India in 1979 which was his first major international exposure. He proved his mettle and stamped his authority with his two elder brothers Jeromy Bolling and David Bolling in the 1979 Indo-Sri Lankan-Bangladesh Swimming Triangular Meet. At Royal College, he was coached by G. A. Wilson from 1977 to 1982.{{fact|date=August 2022}}
He made his Asian Games debut during the 1982 Asian Games and gained sixth-place finishes in both men's 400m and 1500m freestyle events while securing a seventh-place finish in the men's 400m individual medley event.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Julian Bolling was the 'King of Swimming' in South Asia |url=https://www.dailynews.lk/2021/04/28/sports/247704/julian-bolling-was-%E2%80%98king-swimming%E2%80%99-south-asia |access-date=2022-08-17 |website=Daily News |language=en}}</ref> He also competed at the 1986 Asian Games. He graduated from the University of California and with a marketing degree from the Clarion University in the US when he was on a scholarship in the USA. He returned to Sri Lanka in 1992 and worked in American Express Bank for a brief stint before switching to Nestles.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sri Lanka Sports News {{!}} Online edition of Daily News - Lakehouse Newspapers |url=http://archives.dailynews.lk/2009/04/29/spo20.asp |access-date=2022-08-17 |website=archives.dailynews.lk}}</ref>
Bolling's best performance at an international meet was at the Colombo South Asian Games where he won six gold medals.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-04-07 |title=Memorable Sporting Moments - Bolling and Chanmugam excel in 1991 SAG |url=http://www.themorning.lk/memorable-sporting-moments-bolling-and-chanmugam-excel-in-1991-sag/ |access-date=2022-08-17 |website=The Morning - Sri Lanka News |language=en-US}}</ref> He was dubbed as South Asia's best swimmer following his medal galore at 1991 South Asian Games.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Caffoor |first=Inshaf |date=2017-02-08 |title="Sri Lanka needs a long term plan" – Julian Bolling |url=https://www.thepapare.com/sri-lanka-needs-long-term-plan-julian-bolling/ |access-date=2022-08-17 |website=ThePapare.com |language=en-US}}</ref> Bolling claimed gold medals in men's 200 m freestyle, 400m freestyle, 1500m freestyle, 200m butterfly, {{nowrap|4 × 200 m}} freestyle relay and 400m individual medley events during the 1991 South Asian Federation Games.{{fact|date=August 2022}}
It was revealed that he wanted to quit swimming altogether just two weeks prior to the 1991 South Asian Games, the event later turned out to be a great comeback for him personally amid all odds.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Swimming golden boy Julian Bolling nearly quit before '91 SAF miracle |url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/200809/sports/swimming-golden-boy-julian-bolling-nearly-quit-before-91-saf-miracle-411794.html |access-date=2022-08-17 |website=Times Online - Daily Online Edition of The Sunday Times Sri Lanka}}</ref> He felt he had not enjoyed the sport due to undue pressure on him according to the level of expectations that the country had on him to win medals. His mother Tara managed to convince him to pursue the sport of swimming by giving him confidence. He also took water polo as a side hustle and competed in a water polo event held in Kolkata in November 1992 just after returning from Barcelona following the conclusion of the Summer Olympics. He also took part in an Asian waterpolo tournament in Thailand.{{fact|date=August 2022}}
His record for most gold medals in a single South Asian Games event was unbeaten until 2016 when Matthew Abeysinghe broke the record by winning seven golds in India.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.adaderana.lk/news/34131/matthew-wins-7th-gold-medal-to-break-julians-record |title=Matthew wins 7th gold medal to break Julian's record}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Matthew Abeysinghe breaks Julian Bolling's record for most Golds at SAG {{!}} Daily FT |url=https://www.ft.lk/sports/matthew-abeysinghe-breaks-julian-bollings-record-for-most-golds-at-sag/23-524842 |access-date=2022-08-17 |website=www.ft.lk |language=English}}</ref>
Bolling was honoured in 1988 by being awarded the Deshabandu, which is the third-highest national honour awarded in Sri Lanka.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://dailysports.lk/a-peek-at-julian-bollings-past/ |title=A peek at Julian Bolling's past |accessdate=29 November 2016 |date=2 November 2016 |publisher=dailysports.lk}}</ref> He worked as a coach of Rainbow Aquatic Club and was also appointed as a member of the National Sports Council.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Safety first at the pool |url=https://www.sundaytimes.lk/100801/Plus/plus_11.html |access-date=2022-08-17 |website=www.sundaytimes.lk}}</ref> In January 2022, he was elected as one of the committee members of the Sri Lanka Olympians.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dailynews.lk/2022/01/19/sports/270527/sriyani-elected-president-sri-lanka-olympians |title=Sriyani elected President of Sri Lanka Olympians}}</ref>
==Activism== In June 2022, he along with Transparency International Sri Lanka filed petition in the Supreme Court calling for stern action against 13 individuals claiming to be directly responsible for the economic crisis in Sri Lanka.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-06-19 |title=Economic crisis : Public interest case filed against 13 individuals |url=https://www.newswire.lk/2022/06/19/economic-crisis-public-interest-case-filed-against-13-individuals/ |access-date=2022-08-17 |website=NewsWire |language=en-US}}</ref>
On 17 August 2022, he was summoned to the Criminal Investigation Department (Sri Lanka) in order to record statements regarding his involvement in mass anti-government protests on 9 July 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-08-17 |title=July 09 protests : Julian Bolling arrives at CID |url=https://www.newswire.lk/2022/08/17/july-09-protests-julian-bolling-arrives-at-cid/ |access-date=2022-08-17 |website=NewsWire |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-08-17 |title=Julian Bolling & Jonathan Martenstyn at CID |url=https://www.newsfirst.lk/2022/08/17/julian-bolling-jonathan-martenstyn-at-cid/ |access-date=2022-08-17 |website=Sri Lanka News - Newsfirst |language=en}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{sports links}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bolling, Julian}} Category:1966 births Category:Living people Category:Sri Lankan male swimmers Category:Olympic swimmers for Sri Lanka Category:Swimmers at the 1984 Summer Olympics Category:Swimmers at the 1988 Summer Olympics Category:Swimmers at the 1992 Summer Olympics Category:Asian Games competitors for Sri Lanka Category:Swimmers at the 1982 Asian Games Category:Swimmers at the 1986 Asian Games Category:South Asian Games gold medalists for Sri Lanka Category:South Asian Games medalists in swimming Category:Medalists at the 1991 South Asian Games Category:Swimmers from Colombo Category:Deshabandu