John James Monckton (28 October 1938 – 29 June 2017)[1] was an Australian backstroke swimmer who won a silver medal in the 100-metre event at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne.

[2] An apprentice carpenter from the New England region of New South Wales, Monckton appeared to be primed to win gold at the 1956 Olympics.

At the national team camp in Townsville before the games, he became the first person to swim 400-metre backstroke in under five minutes.

At the Olympics, Monckton was the fastest qualifier in the heats and semifinal, but was upstaged in the final by teammate David Theile.

[3] Monckton continued competing in the hope of reaching a third Olympics in 1964, but retired after his performances began to deteriorate.