Jack Beresford
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's rowing | ||
Representing  Great Britain
|
||
| Olympic Games | ||
 |
1924 Paris | Single sculls |
|
1932 Los Angeles | Coxless four |
|
1936 Berlin | Double sculls |
 |
1920 Antwerp | Single sculls |
|
1928 Amsterdam | Eights |
Representing  England
|
||
| British Empire Games | ||
|
1930 Hamilton | Single sculls |
| Diamond Challenge Sculls | ||
|
1920 Henley-on-Thames | Single sculls |
|
1921 Henley-on-Thames | Single sculls |
|
1922 Henley-on-Thames | Single sculls |
|
1924 Henley-on-Thames | Single sculls |
|
1925 Henley-on-Thames | Single sculls |
|
1926 Henley-on-Thames | Single sculls |
| Gold Cup Challenge | ||
|
1925 Philadelphia | Single sculls |
|
1924 Philadelphia | Single sculls |
Jack Beresford, CBE (1 January 1899 – 3 December 1977) was a British rower who won five medals at five Olympic Games in succession, an Olympic record in rowing which was not surpassed for 60 years. His record of winning five medals in five consecutive Olympic Games (three gold, two silver), was not matched until 1996 when Sir Steve Redgrave won his sixth Olympic medal at his fifth Olympic Games (five gold, one bronze). While the record has since been matched by Ben Ainslie, Katherine Grainger and Bradley Wiggins, it is yet to be beaten.
Jack Beresford was the son of Julius Beresford. The family name was Wisniewski but his father dropped the name after Beresford was born. Julius Beresford was also a rower who won an Olympic silver medal for Great Britain rowing at the 1912 Summer Olympics as well as winning several times at Henley. Jack was educated at Bedford School where he stroked the eight and also captained the rugby football XV. During the First World War he served in the Liverpool Scottish Regiment and was wounded in the leg in France. He returned to London and learned the craft of furniture-making for Beresford & Hicks in his father's factory. He took up sculling because the leg wound put an end to his rugby career. Throughout his competitive career, Beresford (like his father and his brother, Eric Beresford) represented Thames Rowing Club.
In 1920, Beresford won the Diamond Challenge Sculls, the single sculls event at the Henley Royal Regatta beating in the final Donald Gollan, his closest British rival for the next few years. He followed this up competing in the single sculls event rowing at the 1920 Summer Olympics where his final race against John B. Kelly Sr. is legendary. It featured a dramatic stretch run with Kelly eventually prevailing in one of the closest single sculls races in Olympic history. In 1920 Beresford won the Wingfield Sculls, the Amateur Sculling Championship of the Thames and Great Britain for the first time, and went on to win it for seven consecutive years, a streak unmatched in history He also won the London Cup to give him the sculling triple crown in 1920.
...
Wikipedia