Richard Edward Garrard, OBE (21 January 1911 – 3 March 2003) was an Australian Olympic

wrestler Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat spor ...

. Garrard was born on 21 January 1911 in Geelong,

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

. In a thirty-year career, from 1926 to 1956, Garrard lost only nine of 525 bouts, making him Australia's most successful sport wrestler ever. Between 1930 and 1956, he won every Victorian wrestling title and ten national titles in the lightweight and light welterweight divisions. This included not being beaten in a match in Australia for 25 years between 1930 and 1956. In 1934, he competed in the first of what was to be four consecutive

Commonwealth Games The Commonwealth Games, often referred to as the Friendly Games or simply the Comm Games, are a quadrennial international multi-sport event among athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930, and, with the exce ...

(then called the British Empire Games, and in 1954, the British Empire and Commonwealth Games) – an achievement amplified by the twelve-year gap between games from 1938 and 1950, due to

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. Garrard won the gold medal at the

1934 Events January–February * January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established. * January 15 – The 8.0 Nepal–Bihar earthquake strikes Nepal and Bihar with a maxi ...

, 1938 and 1950 games, and a bronze at the 1954 games (where he was flag-bearer for the Australian team at the opening ceremony). He also competed in three

Olympic Games The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a vari ...

: 1936 in Berlin, 1948 in London (where he won the silver medal in the welterweight division), and 1952 in Helsinki. He was forced to withdraw from the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne because of a dislocated shoulder and retired shortly after. He became an international judge and referee as well as chairman of the Olympic Wrestling Technical Committee. He was involved with the every Olympics until the 2000 Sydney Olympics (except for the 1980 Moscow Games which he boycotted) as either a judge, referee, section manager, mat chairman, a delegate to the Congress or simply as a VIP. He was manager of the Australian wrestling team at the

1972 Munich Olympics The 1972 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad () and commonly known as Munich 1972 (german: München 1972), was an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from 26 August to 11 September 1972. ...

. He was and still is the only Australian wrestler to ever contest an Olympic final. Garrard was made a

Member of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(MBE) in the

1970 Birthday Honours The 1970 Queen's Birthday Honours were appointments to orders and decorations of the Commonwealth realms to reward and highlight citizens' good works, on the occasion of the official birthday of Queen Elizabeth II. They were announced in suppleme ...

,Australia list: and promoted to Officer of the Order (OBE) in the

1977 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 1977 are appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms to celebrate the year passed and mark the beginning of 1977. The awards were announced on 30 December 1976 in the United Kingdom,United Kingdom: Australia,Australia: Ne ...

.Australia: He was awarded an

Australian Sports Medal The Australian Sports Medal is an award given to recognise achievements in Australian sport to commemorate Australian participation in major sporting events. Original recipients of the award included competitors, coaches, sports scientists, offi ...

in 2000, and shortly afterwards took part in the Sydney Olympic torch relay, where he lit the community cauldron in Geelong. Before his death on 3 March 2003 (aged 92), he was Australia's oldest living Olympic athlete.Nation loses wrestling veteran of four Olympics

Australian Broadcasting Corporation The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the national broadcaster of Australia. It is principally funded by direct grants from the Australian Government and is administered by a government-appointed board. The ABC is a publicly-own ...

, 3 March 2003. Garrard was inducted into the

Sport Australia Hall of Fame The Sport Australia Hall of Fame was established on 10 December 1985 to recognise the achievements of Australian sportsmen and sportswomen. The inaugural induction included 120 members with Sir Don Bradman as the first inductee and Dawn Fraser th ...

on 10 December 1985, and is the only wrestling inductee.

References

External links

Australian Olympic Committee Profile
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Garrard, Dick 1909 births 2003 deaths Olympic wrestlers of Australia Olympic silver medalists for Australia Wrestlers at the 1936 Summer Olympics Wrestlers at the 1948 Summer Olympics Wrestlers at the 1952 Summer Olympics Australian male sport wrestlers Commonwealth Games gold medallists for Australia Commonwealth Games bronze medallists for Australia Wrestlers at the 1934 British Empire Games Wrestlers at the 1938 British Empire Games Wrestlers at the 1950 British Empire Games Wrestlers at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games Australian Officers of the Order of the British Empire Sportspeople from Geelong People educated at Xavier College Olympic medalists in wrestling Medalists at the 1948 Summer Olympics Commonwealth Games medallists in wrestling Sport Australia Hall of Fame inductees Medallists at the 1934 British Empire Games Medallists at the 1938 British Empire Games Medallists at the 1950 British Empire Games Medallists at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games