Ian Johnston (18 June 1947 – 4 September 2018) was an Australian representative rowing

coxswain The coxswain ( , or ) is the person in charge of a boat, particularly its navigation and steering. The etymology of the word gives a literal meaning of "boat servant" since it comes from ''cock'', referring to the cockboat, a type of ship's boat ...

and Australia's youngest ever Olympian. He competed in the men's coxed pair event at the

1960 Summer Olympics The 1960 Summer Olympics ( it, Giochi Olimpici estivi del 1960), officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad ( it, Giochi della XVII Olimpiade) and commonly known as Rome 1960 ( it, Roma 1960), were an international multi-sport event held ...

aged 13 years and 75 days and as of 2023 remains as Australia's youngest ever Olympian.

Rowing career

Johnston competed for the Banks Rowing Club in Melbourne. Following the 1960 King's Cup win by Western Australia and the in-toto selection of that crew as the Australian eight for the

1960 Rome Olympics The 1960 Summer Olympics ( it, Giochi Olimpici estivi del 1960), officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad ( it, Giochi della XVII Olimpiade) and commonly known as Rome 1960 ( it, Roma 1960), were an international multi-sport event held ...

, test races were held in Victoria and New South Wales for the other boats. The coxed pair was graded as the fifth priority boat and Victorians

Paul Guest Paul Guest (born in Chattanooga, Tennessee) is an American poet and memoirist. Biography When he was twelve, Guest broke the third and fourth vertebrae in his neck in a bicycle accident, bruising his spinal cord and paralyzing him from the neck ...

, his King's Cup crew-mate

Neville Howell Walter Neville Howell OAM (born 17 December 1929) is an Australian former representative and Olympic medal winning rower. He competed at two Olympic Games, racing at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics in the men's eight and at the 1960 Rome Ol ...

and their Banks Rowing Club coxswain Johnston prevailed in a selection trial in

Ballarat Ballarat ( ) is a city in the Central Highlands (Victoria), Central Highlands of Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. At the 2021 Census, Ballarat had a population of 116,201, making it the third largest city in Victoria. Estimated resid ...

. They had to finance their own travel to the

Rome Olympics The 1960 Summer Olympics ( it, Giochi Olimpici estivi del 1960), officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad ( it, Giochi della XVII Olimpiade) and commonly known as Rome 1960 ( it, Roma 1960), were an international multi-sport event held ...

, where as a coxed pair rowing in the only competing shell with its coxswain in the stern, they placed fourth in both their heat and repêchage.

References

1947 births 2018 deaths Australian male rowers Olympic rowers for Australia Rowers at the 1960 Summer Olympics Australian coxswains (rowing) Sportsmen from Victoria (state) 20th-century Australian people {{Australia-rowing-bio-stub