| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | James Dudley Achurch | ||||||||||||||
| Nationality | Australian | ||||||||||||||
| Born | 21 January 1928 Epping, New South Wales | ||||||||||||||
| Died | 5 November 2015 (aged 87) Nambour, Queensland | ||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||
| Country | Australia | ||||||||||||||
| Sport | Athletics | ||||||||||||||
| Event | Javelin throw | ||||||||||||||
| Club | Thompson Estate and Eastern Suburbs Athletics | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
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| Updated on 23 November 2015 | |||||||||||||||
James Dudley Achurch (21 January 1928 – 5 November 2015)[1] was an Australian javelin thrower who competed in the 1956 Summer Olympics.[2] He won the gold medal in the men's javelin throw event at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Vancouver, Canada.[3]
Achurch discovered his talent while growing up on a farm in New South Wales and throwing rocks and rabbits. His father later sold the farm and purchased a tennis center, where James learned to play the game as well.
Over the years, Achurch worked in multiple professions, including running a passionfruit and pineapple farm, as well as a carriage builder, a house painter, and a wardsman, plus running maintenance contracts for Nambour General Hospital.[4]
- ^ James Achurch's obituary
- ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "James Achurch". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 16 December 2012. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
- ^ "James Achurch". Australian Commonwealth Games Association. Archived from the original on 29 February 2016. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
- ^ "Jim Achurch". Olympedia. OLYMadMen. Retrieved 7 October 2022.