Prior to the Tokyo Olympics, Wood's coach, Don Talbot, strove to change Wood's technique, slowing down the stroke rate, but increasing the deepness of the strokes.
Other notable Australian swimmers who were coached or greatly assisted by Talbot in the 1960s and 1970s included – Ian O'Brien, Bob Windle, Kevin Berry, Beverley Whitfield and Gail Neall.
•
He then moved to Canada for the first time and worked as head coach for both the Thunder Bay Thunderbolts Swim Club and the Canadian national swimming team.
After Australia's only 100m breaststroker Phil Rogers put in a poor performance in the individual event, Australian head coach Don Talbot dropped Rogers and Mitchell swam in the heats of the 4x100m medley relay, even though he was not originally selected in the 100m breaststroke.
Don Quixote | Don Giovanni | Don Cherry | Don | Don (honorific) | Don Cheadle | Rostov-on-Don | Don Williams | Don Juan | Don Knotts | Don Imus | Don Carlos | Don Rickles | Don Omar | Don Henley | Salesians of Don Bosco | Don Johnson | Don Drysdale | Don Pasquale | Don Messick | Don Bluth | Don King (boxing promoter) | Don King | Don Shula | Don LaFontaine | Don Cherry (jazz) | Don Burrows | Don't Look Now | Don Siegel | Don McLean |