Dennis Green (canoeist)
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Dennis Allan Green |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Born | 26 May 1931 Epping, New South Wales |
| Died | 5 September 2018 (aged 87) Sydney, New South Wales |
| Sport | |
| Country | Australia |
| Sport | canoe sprint, Ironman surf lifesaving |
Medal record | |
Dennis Allan Green OAM BEM (26 May 1931 – 5 September 2018) was an Australian sprint canoeist, surf lifesaver, coach and sporting administrator who competed from the late 1950s to the early 1970s. He was the first Australian to compete in five Summer Olympics, and he won a bronze medal in the K-2 10000 m event at Melbourne in 1956. He also won 57 Gold Medals at the World Masters Games and a further 75 at national level.
Personal[edit]
Green was born in Epping, New South Wales on 26 May 1931.[1] He was married to Shirley and they had two daughters – Christine and Karen.[2] From 2012 until his death, he and Shirley lived in Little Bay, New South Wales.[3] Green died of cancer, aged 87, on 5 September 2018.[4]
Canoeing[edit]
Green's Olympic Games record:[5]
- 1956 – Men's K-2 1000m – 7th final ; Men's K- 2 10000m – Bronze Medal with Wally Brown
- 1960 – Men's K-2 1000 – 6th semi-final ; Men's K Relay – 3rd semi-final
- 1964 – Men's K-4 1000m – 9th final
- 1968 – Men's K-4 1000m – 4th semi-final
- 1972 – Men's K-4 1000m – 5th semi-final
Between 1955 and 1974, Green whilst representing St George Club won 64 Australian championships (singles, pairs and fours), including 18 pairs events with Barry Stuart between 1955 and 1974.[6] He won 79 New South Wales state titles.[6]
In 1976, he was appointed coach of the national kayak team.[3] At the age of 60, Green accepted the position of QLD Regional Director of Coaching for Canoeing at the Queensland Academy of Sport and he remained coaching in Queensland until 2012.[6][3]
Surf Life Saving[edit]
At the age of 15, Green joined Maroubra Surf Life Saving Club.[6] Between 1954 and 1967, he won eight Australian open double ski championships.[1] He won the Australian open single ski championships in 1964/65, and the international single ski title at the Olympic carnival held in association with the 1956 Olympic Games.[1]
In 1981, at the age of 50, Green reached the final of the surf ski at the World Surf Titles in Bali, and he continued to compete in the surf in open events until 1984.[6]
Recognition[edit]
- 1972 – Flag bearer Australian Team at the 1972 Munich Olympics[7]
- 1977 – Order of the British Empire – Medal (Civil) / British Empire Medal (Civil) (Imperial)[6]
- 1978 – inaugural Australian Olympic Committee Order of Merit[8]
- 1979 – New South Wales Hall of Champions inductee[6]
- 1986 – Sport Australia Hall of Fame inductee[6]
- 2000 – Australian Sports Medal
- 2005 – Surf Life Saving Australia Life Membership.
- 2007 – Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM)[6]
- 2014 – Surf Lifesaving's Walk of Fame at Maroubra Beach[8]
- 2017 – Paddle Australia Hall of Fame[7]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c Oxford Companion to Australia sport. 2nd ed. Melbourne: Oxford University Press. 1994.
- ^ "HE'S AUSTRALIA'S MR. OLYMPICS". The Australian Women's Weekly. Vol. 39, no. 48. Australia. 26 April 1972. p. 39. Retrieved 6 September 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ a b c "Dennis was oarsome before the foursome". Go55s website. 15 September 2014. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
- ^ "Paddle Australia Mourns The Passing of Dennis Green". 5 September 2018.
- ^ "Dennis Green". Sports Reference website. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Dennis Green". Sport Australia Hall of Fame inductee. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
- ^ a b "Dennis Green OAM BEM". Padde Australia website. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
- ^ a b "VALE five-time Olympian Dennis Green". Australian Olympic Committee website. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
External links[edit]
- 1931 births
- 2018 deaths
- Australian male canoeists
- Australian surf lifesavers
- Canoeists at the 1956 Summer Olympics
- Canoeists at the 1960 Summer Olympics
- Canoeists at the 1964 Summer Olympics
- Canoeists at the 1968 Summer Olympics
- Canoeists at the 1972 Summer Olympics
- Olympic canoeists for Australia
- Olympic bronze medalists for Australia
- Olympic medalists in canoeing
- Medalists at the 1956 Summer Olympics
- Recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia
- Australian recipients of the British Empire Medal
- Recipients of the Australian Sports Medal
- Sport Australia Hall of Fame inductees
- Sportsmen from New South Wales
- Deaths from cancer in New South Wales
- 20th-century Australian people