Tony Fox
Encyclopedia
Thomas Anthony Fox was a doctor and rower
who competed for Great Britain at the 1952 Summer Olympics and at the 1956 Summer Olympics. He won the Diamond Challenge Sculls
and the Wingfield Sculls.
Fox was born on Guernsey
, the son of a Irish doctor, William Burton Fox. He was educated at Sherborne School
and Pembroke College, Cambridge
where he studied medicine. In 1951 he won the Diamond Challenge Sculls
at Henley Royal Regatta
. He also won the Wingfield Sculls and the London Cup in the same year to achieve the rowing triple crown. He then joined London Rowing Club
and 1952 he came second in the Diamond Challenge Sculls to Mervyn Wood
. He competed in the Summer Olympics at Helsinki
in the single scull
s and came fourth overall. Later in 1952 he won the Wingfield Sculls again. In 1953 he regained the Diamond Challenge Sculls and retained the Wingfield Sculls for the third year. In 1954, Fox and his partner John Marsden
astonished the rowing world by beating the Russian silver medallists in the Double Sculls at Henley. Marsden had beaten Fox in the first tideway
Scullers Head
earlier that year. The pair went on to win the European Championships at Amsterdam.
In 1956 Fox was runner up to Teodor Kocerka
in the Diamond Challenge Sculls. He competed in the Summer Olympics at Melbourne but only made it to the second heat.
Fox completed his medical training at St George's Hospital
and joined the family general practice on Guernsey with his father, brother and uncle. He retired to Cornwall in 1989 to Cornwall. He died four days after his eighty-second birthday.
Fox married Paula Sweby, a nurse at St George's, in 1958 and had four daughters.
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 for Great Britain at the 1952 Summer Olympics and at the 1956 Summer Olympics. He won the Diamond Challenge Sculls
Diamond Challenge Sculls
The Diamond Challenge Sculls is a rowing event for men's single sculls at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England...
and the Wingfield Sculls.
Fox was born on Guernsey
Guernsey
Guernsey, officially the Bailiwick of Guernsey is a British Crown dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy.The Bailiwick, as a governing entity, embraces not only all 10 parishes on the Island of Guernsey, but also the islands of Herm, Jethou, Burhou, and Lihou and their islet...
, the son of a Irish doctor, William Burton Fox. He was educated at Sherborne School
Sherborne School
Sherborne School is a British independent school for boys, located in the town of Sherborne in north-west Dorset, England. It is one of the original member schools of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference....
and Pembroke College, Cambridge
Pembroke College, Cambridge
Pembroke College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college has over seven hundred students and fellows, and is the third oldest college of the university. Physically, it is one of the university's larger colleges, with buildings from almost every century since its...
where he studied medicine. In 1951 he won the Diamond Challenge Sculls
Diamond Challenge Sculls
The Diamond Challenge Sculls is a rowing event for men's single sculls at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England...
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...
. He also won the Wingfield Sculls and the London Cup in the same year to achieve the rowing triple crown. He then joined London Rowing Club
London Rowing Club
London Rowing Club is one of the oldest rowing clubs on the River Thames in London, United Kingdom.It is regarded as one of the most exclusive and successful rowing clubs in Britain. and its Patron is HRH Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh....
and 1952 he came second in the Diamond Challenge Sculls to Mervyn Wood
Mervyn Wood
Mervyn Thomas Wood, LVO, MBE, QPM was an Australian rower of the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. He was a four-time Olympian and three-time Olympic medalist. He later rose to become the Police Commissioner of the New South Wales Police Force.-Biography:Wood was the youngest of four children born in...
. He competed in the Summer Olympics at Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
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 and came fourth overall. Later in 1952 he won the Wingfield Sculls again. In 1953 he regained the Diamond Challenge Sculls and retained the Wingfield Sculls for the third year. In 1954, Fox and his partner John Marsden
John Marsden (rower)
Arthur John Marsden was an English rower, intelligence officer and teacher. He won the Wingfield Sculls, officially the Amateur Sculling Championship of England, in 1956....
astonished the rowing world by beating the Russian silver medallists in the Double Sculls at Henley. Marsden had beaten Fox in the first tideway
Tideway
The Tideway is a name given to the part of the River Thames in England that is subject to tides. This stretch of water is downstream from Teddington Lock and is just under long...
Scullers Head
Scullers Head
The Scullers Head of the River Race is a rowing race held annually on the River Thames Championship Course from Mortlake to Putney, open to single scullers only.The Scullers Head was first raced in 1954 when it was won by John Marsden...
earlier that year. The pair went on to win the European Championships at Amsterdam.
In 1956 Fox was runner up to Teodor Kocerka
Teodor Kocerka
Teodor Kocerka was a Polish rower who competed in the 1952 Summer Olympics, in the 1956 Summer Olympics, and in the 1960 Summer Olympics.He was born in Bydgoszcz and died in Warsaw....
in the Diamond Challenge Sculls. He competed in the Summer Olympics at Melbourne but only made it to the second heat.
Fox completed his medical training at St George's Hospital
St George's Hospital
Founded in 1733, St George’s Hospital is one of the UK's largest teaching hospitals. It shares its main hospital site in Tooting, England with the St George's, University of London which trains NHS staff and carries out advanced medical research....
and joined the family general practice on Guernsey with his father, brother and uncle. He retired to Cornwall in 1989 to Cornwall. He died four days after his eighty-second birthday.
Fox married Paula Sweby, a nurse at St George's, in 1958 and had four daughters.