Leslie Frank "Dick" Southwood (18 January 1906 – 7 February 1986) was a British

Great Britain

Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...

 rower

Rowing (sport)

Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...

 who competed in the 1932 Summer Olympics

1932 Summer Olympics

The 1932 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the X Olympiad, was a major world wide multi-athletic event which was celebrated in 1932 in Los Angeles, California, United States. No other cities made a bid to host these Olympics. Held during the worldwide Great Depression, many nations...

 and in the 1936 Summer Olympics

1936 Summer Olympics

The 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin, Germany. Berlin won the bid to host the Games over Barcelona, Spain on April 26, 1931, at the 29th IOC Session in Barcelona...

.

Southwood was born in Fulham

Fulham

Fulham is an area of southwest London in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, SW6 located south west of Charing Cross. It lies on the left bank of the Thames, between Putney and Chelsea. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London...

 and was educated at Latymer Upper School

Latymer Upper School

Latymer Upper School, founded by Edward Latymer in 1624, is a selective independent school in Hammersmith, West London, England, lying between King Street and the Thames. It is a day school for 1,130 pupils – boys and girls aged 11–18; there is also the Latymer Preparatory School for boys and girls...

. He initially joined Auriol Rowing Club

Auriol Kensington Rowing Club

Auriol Kensington Rowing Club is an amateur rowing club, based in Hammersmith in west London, England. The club was formed in 1981 by the amalgamation of two separate clubs - Auriol Rowing Club which was founded in 1896, and Kensington Rowing Club which was founded in 1872...

 but Jack Beresford

Jack Beresford

Jack Beresford, CBE, was a British rower who won medals at five Olympic Games in succession, an Olympic record in rowing, which has since been tied by Steven Redgrave.-Early life:...

 spotted his sculling

Sculling

Sculling generally refers to a method of using oars to propel watercraft in which the oar or oars touch the water on both the port and starboard sides of the craft, or over the stern...

 potential and persuaded him to join Thames Rowing Club

Thames Rowing Club

Thames Rowing Club is a rowing club situated on the River Thames in Putney, London, United Kingdom. It was founded in 1860.-Club colours:Red, white and black in stripes, the white stripe lying between the red and black and being of half their width....

. He competed unsuccessfully in the Wingfield Sculls in 1931. In 1932 he competed in the single scull

Single scull

A single scull is a rowing boat used in the sport of competitive rowing. It is designed for a single person who propels the boat with two oars, one in each hand....

s rowing for Great Britain at the 1932 Summer Olympics but in the final suffered an attack of cramp in the shoulder and finished fourth. He won the Wingfield Sculls in 1933, beating the holder Denis Guye

Denis Guye

Denis Germain Fritz Guye was an English rower who competed for Great Britain at the 1928 Summer Olympics at Amsterdam and won the Wingfield Sculls three times....

.

In 1936 Southwood partnered Jack Beresford

Jack Beresford

Jack Beresford, CBE, was a British rower who won medals at five Olympic Games in succession, an Olympic record in rowing, which has since been tied by Steven Redgrave.-Early life:...

 in the double scull

Double scull

A double scull is a rowing boat used in the sport of competitive rowing. It is designed for two persons who propel the boat by sculling with two oars, one in each hand....

s for Great Britain rowing at the 1936 Summer Olympics

Rowing at the 1936 Summer Olympics

Rowing at the 1936 Summer Olympics featured 7 events, for men only.The competitions were held from August 11, 1936 to August 14, 1936. They were held on a regatta course at Grünau on the Langer See.-Medal summary:-Medal table:-References:*...

 in Berlin. With Adolf Hitler

Adolf Hitler

Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...

 watching, Beresford and Southwood came from a length down to pass the Germans with 200 metres to go and won the gold medal. Beresford thus won his fifth Olympic medal and wrote later that it was "the sweetest race I ever rowed."

Beresford and Southwood paired up again in 1939 in the centenary double sculls

Double Sculls Challenge Cup

The Double Sculls Challenge Cup is a rowing event for men's double sculls at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. It is open to male crews from all eligible rowing clubs. Two clubs may combine to make an entry....

 at Henley Royal Regatta

Henley Royal Regatta

Henley Royal Regatta is a rowing event held every year on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. The Royal Regatta is sometimes referred to as Henley Regatta, its original name pre-dating Royal patronage...

. They dead-heated with Scherli and Broschi of Trieste, who were the reigning European champions.

Southwood died in Bury St Edmunds at the age of 80.