Walter Brown

1925 - 2011

Australia’s first medal in Olympic canoeing was won by champion surf skiers Wally Brown and Dennis Green at Melbourne 1956. They finished a creditable seventh in an otherwise all-European final of the 1000 metres kayak pairs. In the last Olympic staging of the gruelling 10000 metres kayak pairs they finished a gallant third, just over six seconds behind the infinitely more experienced and victorious Hungarians. Australia had to wait until John Sumegi's silver medal in the 500 metres kayak singles at Moscow 1980 before it won its next Olympic medal in canoeing. Melbourne was Brown's only Olympic appearance.