Malcolm Champion
Encyclopedia
Malcolm Eadie Champion (12 November 1883 – 27 July 1939) was New Zealand
's first Olympic
gold medallist, and the first swimmer to represent New Zealand at an Olympic Games. He won a gold medal in the 4x200m freestyle relay at the 1912 Summer Olympics
in Stockholm
, Sweden
as part of a combined team with Australia
, competing as Australasia
.
Champion was born in 1883 on Norfolk Island
(now an Australian territory
but then a British
colony). His mother, Sarah Clara Quintal, descended from the Bounty mutineer
Matthew Quintal
. His father Captain Walter Champion was a sea captain who traded around the Pacific. The family moved to Auckland
, New Zealand in 1897, by which time Malcolm, the eldest son, was serving on his father's ship.
Between 1901 and 1914, Champion won thirty-two New Zealand national titles, at one point holding the titles for every distance between 220 yards (201.2 m) and one mile (1.6 km). In 1911 was the long-distance champion of England
and the 880 yd (804.7 m) champion of the Thames
. He had also represented Australasia at the 1911 Festival of Empire at The Crystal Palace
, an early forerunner to the Commonwealth Games
, where he finished third in the mile race.
Due to the financial difficulties faced by the New Zealand Olympic Committee, his swimming club had to fundraise for him and organize loans so that he could travel to the 1912 Stockholm Olympics. At the Olympics, Champion carried the flag for the Australasian delegation. Champion was originally slated to compete in the 400 m and 1500 m freestyle events. He finished second in his 400 m heat behind Harold Hardwick
and before finishing fourth in his semi-final to be eliminated. In the 1500 m event, he placed second in both his heat and semifinal, before abandoning in the final after 600 m.
A sudden ear infection to Bill Longworth resulted in Champion being promoted to the 4x200m freestyle relay team. In the final on 15 July, Champion swam the second leg, and started equal with the American swimmer after Cecil Healy
's first leg before building up a 10 m lead in his leg. Les Boardman extended the lead to 15 m before Harold Hardwick
held off Duke Kahanamoku
to claim the gold medal in the world record time of 10:11.6. The final was the third time that a world record had been set in that event at the Stockholm games, the first two times occurring on 12 July with the United States
team swimming 10:26.4, only to be bettered later that day by the Australasian team who swam 10:14.0 (the United States team won the silver medal in the final).
Champion was New Zealand's only Olympic gold medallist in swimming until 1996, when Danyon Loader
won in the 200 m and 400 m freestyle events at the Atlanta Olympics
. In 1990 Champion became an inaugural inductee into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame
. In 2005 the winning relay team was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame, making Champion the only non-Australian inductee.
Like Billy Savidan
after him, he was for some years Custodian at Auckland’s Tepid Baths
, and the walls of his office was adorned with sketches of ships by him.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
's first Olympic
Summer Olympic Games
The Summer Olympic Games or the Games of the Olympiad are an international multi-sport event, occurring every four years, organized by the International Olympic Committee. Medals are awarded in each event, with gold medals for first place, silver for second and bronze for third, a tradition that...
gold medallist, and the first swimmer to represent New Zealand at an Olympic Games. He won a gold medal in the 4x200m freestyle relay at the 1912 Summer Olympics
1912 Summer Olympics
The 1912 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the V Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Stockholm, Sweden, between 5 May and 27 July 1912. Twenty-eight nations and 2,407 competitors, including 48 women, competed in 102 events in 14 sports...
in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
as part of a combined team with Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, competing as Australasia
Australasia at the Olympics
Australasia was the name of a combined team of athletes from Australia and New Zealand that competed together at the 1908 and 1912 Summer Olympics. When the Olympic Games resumed in 1920 after World War I, the two nations sent separate teams to the Games....
.
Champion was born in 1883 on Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island is a small island in the Pacific Ocean located between Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia. The island is part of the Commonwealth of Australia, but it enjoys a large degree of self-governance...
(now an Australian territory
States and territories of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a union of six states and various territories. The Australian mainland is made up of five states and three territories, with the sixth state of Tasmania being made up of islands. In addition there are six island territories, known as external territories, and a...
but then a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
colony). His mother, Sarah Clara Quintal, descended from the Bounty mutineer
Mutiny on the Bounty
The mutiny on the Bounty was a mutiny that occurred aboard the British Royal Navy ship HMS Bounty on 28 April 1789, and has been commemorated by several books, films, and popular songs, many of which take considerable liberties with the facts. The mutiny was led by Fletcher Christian against the...
Matthew Quintal
Matthew Quintal
Matthew Quintal was an Cornish able seaman and mutineer aboard HMS Bounty. His surname was, in all probability, the result of mis-spelling the Cornish surname "Quintrell". He was the last of the mutineers to be murdered on Pitcairn Island...
. His father Captain Walter Champion was a sea captain who traded around the Pacific. The family moved to Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, New Zealand in 1897, by which time Malcolm, the eldest son, was serving on his father's ship.
Between 1901 and 1914, Champion won thirty-two New Zealand national titles, at one point holding the titles for every distance between 220 yards (201.2 m) and one mile (1.6 km). In 1911 was the long-distance champion of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and the 880 yd (804.7 m) champion of the Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
. He had also represented Australasia at the 1911 Festival of Empire at The Crystal Palace
The Crystal Palace
The Crystal Palace was a cast-iron and glass building originally erected in Hyde Park, London, England, to house the Great Exhibition of 1851. More than 14,000 exhibitors from around the world gathered in the Palace's of exhibition space to display examples of the latest technology developed in...
, an early forerunner to the Commonwealth Games
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
, where he finished third in the mile race.
Due to the financial difficulties faced by the New Zealand Olympic Committee, his swimming club had to fundraise for him and organize loans so that he could travel to the 1912 Stockholm Olympics. At the Olympics, Champion carried the flag for the Australasian delegation. Champion was originally slated to compete in the 400 m and 1500 m freestyle events. He finished second in his 400 m heat behind Harold Hardwick
Harold Hardwick
Harold Hampton Hardwick was a versatile Australian sports star of the early 20th century - an Olympic gold-medal swimmer, national heavyweight boxing champion and a state representative rugby union player...
and before finishing fourth in his semi-final to be eliminated. In the 1500 m event, he placed second in both his heat and semifinal, before abandoning in the final after 600 m.
A sudden ear infection to Bill Longworth resulted in Champion being promoted to the 4x200m freestyle relay team. In the final on 15 July, Champion swam the second leg, and started equal with the American swimmer after Cecil Healy
Cecil Healy
Cecil Patrick Healy was an Australian freestyle swimmer of the 1900s and 1910s, who won silver in the 100m freestyle at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm. He also won gold in the 4x200m freestyle relay...
's first leg before building up a 10 m lead in his leg. Les Boardman extended the lead to 15 m before Harold Hardwick
Harold Hardwick
Harold Hampton Hardwick was a versatile Australian sports star of the early 20th century - an Olympic gold-medal swimmer, national heavyweight boxing champion and a state representative rugby union player...
held off Duke Kahanamoku
Duke Kahanamoku
Duke Paoa Kahinu Mokoe Hulikohola Kahanamoku was a Hawaiian swimmer, actor, lawman, early beach volleyball player and businessman credited with spreading the sport of surfing. He was a five-time Olympic medalist in swimming.-Early years:The name "Duke" is not a title, but a given name...
to claim the gold medal in the world record time of 10:11.6. The final was the third time that a world record had been set in that event at the Stockholm games, the first two times occurring on 12 July with the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
team swimming 10:26.4, only to be bettered later that day by the Australasian team who swam 10:14.0 (the United States team won the silver medal in the final).
Champion was New Zealand's only Olympic gold medallist in swimming until 1996, when Danyon Loader
Danyon Loader
Danyon Loader ONZM is an Olympic champion, former World Record holding swimmer from New Zealand, based in Dunedin...
won in the 200 m and 400 m freestyle events at the Atlanta Olympics
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
. In 1990 Champion became an inaugural inductee into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame
New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame
The New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame is an organisation commemorating New Zealand's greatest sporting triumphs. It was inaugurated as part of the New Zealand sesquicentenary celebrations in 1990. Some 160 members have been inducted into the Hall of Fame since its inception representing a wide...
. In 2005 the winning relay team was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame, making Champion the only non-Australian inductee.
Like Billy Savidan
Billy Savidan
John William Savidan nicknamed "Billy", "Bill" or "Jack" was a New Zealand long distance runner from 1926.He was born in Auckland....
after him, he was for some years Custodian at Auckland’s Tepid Baths
Tepid Baths
The Tepid Baths are historical indoor public pools in Auckland, New Zealand. Built in 1914 on the previous site of a small drydock, it quickly met great public approval, with 30,000 visitors in the first two months...
, and the walls of his office was adorned with sketches of ships by him.