Robert George Chisholm (1910 – 26 June 1998) was an Australian sports administrator. He was the manager of the Australian teams that competed at the
1952
Events January–February
* January 26 – Black Saturday in Egypt: Rioters burn Cairo's central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses.
* February 6
** Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh, becomes m ...
and
1956 Winter Olympics
The 1956 Winter Olympics, officially known as the VII Olympic Winter Games ( it, VII Giochi Olimpici invernali) and commonly known as Cortina d'Ampezzo 1956 ( lld, Anpezo 1956 or ), was a multi-sport event held in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, from ...
.
Australia had first competed at the 1936 Olympics before the
Second World War, when one athlete participated without support staff. Australia did not compete in 1948 after the resumption of the Olympics and in 1952, support staff were present for the first time; Chisholm was the first manager of an Australian Winter Olympic team. He oversaw three figure skaters, three alpine skiers and two cross country skiers in
Oslo,
Norway. All finished in the bottom half of their events and seven finished in the bottom 20%.
[Gordon (1994), p. 522.][’’The Compendium, pp. 209–210.] The lack of administrative attention was highlighted when Chisholm incorrectly declared that the campaign was Australia's first at the Winter Olympics.
[Gordon (1994), p. 413.]
Chisholm returned to lead the team to
Cortina D'Ampezzo
Cortina d'Ampezzo (; lld, Anpezo, ; historical de-AT, Hayden) is a town and ''comune'' in the heart of the southern (Dolomitic) Alps in the Province of Belluno, in the Veneto region of Northern Italy. Situated on the Boite river, in an alp ...
in
Italy. Chisholm again mistakenly noted in his official report that it was Australia's second participation, forgetting the delegations sent in 1936.
[ There were ten athletes in total; five alpine skiers, four figure skaters and a solitary long track speed skater.][ ]Colin Hickey
Colin Edward Hickey (3 July 1931 – 13 January 1999) was an Australian speed skater. He represented Australia at the 1952, 1956 and 1960 Winter Olympics. His seventh place in the 1956 Winter Olympics was Australia's best result until 1976.
...
, a "rink rat" who was overlooked for ice hockey when he was young because of his small frame, came seventh in the 500 and 1000 metres speed skating, on his second Olympic campaign.[ However, the others all finished in the bottom half of their events, while the pairs figure skating combination of ]Mervyn Bower
Mervyn John Bower (12 January 1934 – 30 September 2013) was an Australian pair skater who competed at the 1956 and 1960 Winter Olympics
The 1960 Winter Olympics (officially the VIII Olympic Winter Games and also known as Squaw Valley 19 ...
and Jacqueline Mason
Jacqueline "Jackie" Mason Kendall-Baker (15 June 1935 – 9 April 2020) was an Australian pair skater who competed at the 1956 and 1960 Winter Olympics in a pairing with Mervyn Bower
Mervyn John Bower (12 January 1934 – 30 September 2013 ...
failed to take to the ice after Bower was injured.
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Chisholm, Robert
1910 births
1998 deaths
20th-century Australian people
Australian sports executives and administrators