Durward Knowles

Sir Durward Knowles
Personal information
Full nameDurward Randolph Knowles
Nationality Bahamas
Born(1917-11-02)2 November 1917
Nassau, Bahamas
Died24 February 2018(2018-02-24) (aged 100)
Nassau, Bahamas
Sailing career
ClassStar
Medal record
Sailing
Representing  Bahamas
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1964 Tokyo Star class
Bronze medal – third place 1956 Melbourne Star class
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1947 Los Angeles Star class
Silver medal – second place 1954 Cascais Star class
Bronze medal – third place 1946 Havana Star class
Bronze medal – third place 1974 Laredo Star class

Sir Durward Randolph Knowles (2 November 1917 – 24 February 2018) was a sailor and Olympic champion from The Bahamas. He won the gold medal in the Star class at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, together with Cecil Cooke.[1][2] He won the bronze medal in the same class at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne.[3] He had previously competed for the United Kingdom in the 1948 Olympics, finishing in 4th place in the Star class together with Sloane Elmo Farrington. Representing the Bahamas, Knowles also won gold in the 1959 Pan American Games star class (with Farrington). He is one of only five athletes who have competed in the Olympics over a span of 40 years, along with fencer Ivan Joseph Martin Osiier, sailor Magnus Konow, showjumper Ian Millar, and sailor Paul Elvstrøm.[4]

Knowles was knighted in 1996.[5] In 1997, he was awarded The Bahamas' Order of Merit.[6]

In 2014, the second Legend-class patrol boat of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force was commissioned as HMBS Durward Knowles. In May 2016, following the death of Sándor Tarics, he became the oldest living Olympic champion.[7] He turned 100 in November 2017[8] and died on 24 February 2018.[9][10]

  1. ^ "Olympic Games Medallists – Sailing" gbrathletics (Retrieved 1 June 2008)
  2. ^ "1964 Summer Olympics – Tokyo, Japan – Sailing". databaseOlympics.com. Archived from the original on 21 February 2007. Retrieved 1 June 2008.
  3. ^ "1956 Summer Olympics – Melbourne, Australia – Sailing". databaseOlympics.com. Archived from the original on 27 August 2007. Retrieved 1 June 2008.
  4. ^ Glenday, Craig (2012). Guinness World Records 2012. Bantam Books. ISBN 9780345534378.
  5. ^ "No. 54537". The London Gazette. 27 September 1996. p. 12875.
  6. ^ Johnson, Kelsie (20 April 2011). "Sir Durward Knowles gives Olympic medals to museum". The Freeport News. Archived from the original on 21 February 2013. Retrieved 14 June 2012.
  7. ^ World's oldest Olympic champion dies aged 102
  8. ^ "Sir Durward turns 100! - The Nassau Guardian". thenassauguardian.com. Archived from the original on 13 November 2017.
  9. ^ "Breaking | Sir Durward Knowles dies – The Nassau Guardian". thenassauguardian.com. Archived from the original on 25 February 2018.
  10. ^ "Eight Bells: Sir Durward Knowles >> Scuttlebutt Sailing News". 25 February 2018.