Recovered Sporting Treasure July 2024 Norfolk Island, Malcolm Champion, Olympic Gold Medal Winner 1912

I have often thought about the Malcolm Champion Oval at the Norfolk Island Central School, wondering “who was Malcolm Champion?” and Why the sports ground at the school was named after him?”

Malcolm Eadie Champion was born on Norfolk Island on 10th November 1882, and he was the fourth of six children of Captain William Nihill Champion, a merchant seaman, and Sarah Clara, nee Quintal, who was born on Pitcairn Island on 5th November 1851, and she moved to Norfolk Island in the 1856 migration. His mother Sarah Clara Quintal was a descendent of Matthew Quintal. Malcolm’s great-grandfathers were Bounty Mutineers. (Quintal, Young, Adams, McCoy)

In 1912, Australia and New Zealand formed a composite team for the 4x 200-yard freestyle relay event at the Stockholm Olympics. Taking the gold, Champion, aged 29 years old, became the New Zealand’s first ever Olympic Gold Medal winner, and my birthright, Norfolk Islands only Olympic medal winner still to this day. Australia also claim Champion as one of their medal winners.

This medal was lost many years ago and it was not known what had happened to the 1912 Stockholm Olympic Gold Medal. Last week there was exciting news in New Zealand when the

significant and special treasure from New Zealand’s sporting past, the missing Gold Olympic medal was recovered. It was given to a friend of the family many years ago and was found in a draw, where it had been stalled. The family are delighted that the medal has been found and New Zealand Olympic Committee have shared this heartwarming story with the public as they plan to have it on display at the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame once it is completed in the Cambridge Velodrome at the end of next year. The New Zealand Olympic Team have also enjoyed seeing the Malcolm Champion’s 1912 Olympic Gold Medal and the NZ Team will be taking the medal to Paris for the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Follow this link to read the news article. New Zealand Olympic Team

The medal is 33mm in diameter, made of gold and gilt silver and was presented to Champion by King Gustaf V of Sweden. On the front, two female figures place a laurel crown on the head of a victorious athlete. On the back, a herald proclaiming the opening of the 1912 Stockholm Olympic Games stands alongside a statue of the host country’s physical education pioneer Per Henrik Ling.

I have previously seen a 1912 Stockholm Olympic Gold medal at the National Library of Australia in Canberra. It is now fantastic to see Malcolm’s medal.

Here is information about Malcolm Champion, a Norfolk Islander, and his achievements as a swimmer and swimming coach in New Zealand and world swimming events.

His mother Sarah died on 31 December 1894 when he was 12 years old. I read that Malcolm moved to Auckland, New Zealand with his family in 1897. He worked with his father, William Champion, in the shipping companies. His father was a sea captain who traded all around the Pacific. By the end of the 19th Century, he was living in Auckland. He married Rose Ethel, nee De Maus, in 1902. I read they had a daughter Miss Edna Champion, later Mrs. J. Brookers of Sydney. His daughter was also a New Zealand 220-yard and 440-yard champion swimmer in 1931.

Malcolm’s swimming training was at the Tepid Baths in Auckland. The Tepid Baths are historical indoor public pools in Auckland City, New Zealand. Built in 1914 on the previous site of a small drydock. The tepid baths are saltwater pools were heated with hot water from the nearby tramways power plant. I read that Malcolm Champion would sometimes swim across the harbour from his North Shore home for his swimming training at the Tepid Baths. He was also a swimming coach at the Auckland Tepid Baths, and he coached local swimmers. Malcolm Champion coached many New Zealand and Auckland champion swimmers.

There are still a couple of these pools in the area including the Parnell Pools. My extended family in New Zealand are historic Architects and they were involved in the restoration work on the historic pools. At the Tepid Baths there were originally separated pools for women and men. I read that when Malcolm was also the Custodian at the Auckland Tepid Baths, he had drawings he had sketched of ships on his office walls.

Malcolm Champion was the only New Zealand holder of an Olympic Gold Medal in Swimming until 1996 when Danyon Loader won the 200m and 400m freestyle events at the Atlanta

Olympics. I have also read that he was the holder of almost every swimming title during his swimming career. In 1990 Malcolm Champion was an inaugural inductee into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame. In 2005 the Gold Winning 1912 Olympic Relay Team was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame, making Champion the only non-Australian inductee.

Another article I read, said that due to a lack of funding, and financial difficulties faced by the New Zealand Olympic Committee, his swimming club helped to fundraise to money, plus organised loans to purchase the tickets for Malcolm Champion to travel to Sweden for the Stockholm Olympic Games. Malcolm Champion was the Flag Bearer for the Australasian Team.

I read that he was suspended at the end of 1902 by the National Swimming Association for failing to pay registration fees and was allowed to re-enter the sport in the Southern Summer of 1907/1908. Another research article said, “Malcolm Champion had been banned for life from swimming in 1901 for a supposed breach of amateur regulations, but the ban was overturned on appeal”.

I have searched for images of Malcolm and found a couple on the internet, but the most important was to find that he was proudly on the Norfolk Island $3:00 Stamp issued on 15th September 2000 by the Philatelic Bureau on Norfolk Island the stamp was named Olymphilex. The postage stamp first day cover has the incorrect date of birth and I have confirmed this D.O.B. at the Norfolk Island Registry as 10 November 1882.

Malcolm Champion was a strong supporter of life saving and was a life member of the Royal Life Saving Society.

Malcolm Champion swimming success details I have found:

Malcolm Champion won 32 national titles between 1901 and 1914 and at one stage held every national record from 220-yards to the mile. No other New Zealand swimmer has made a claim sweep of national championships so often.

1905 He was encouraged to go to Christchurch to compete for the New Zealand Championship. On his journey to Christchurch, he was training in Wellington and caught the attention of the locals and as he had not been nominated by Auckland for the championship, The Wellington organisers immediately entered Malcolm Champion as a Wellington representative. During the championship in Christchurch, he won the free-style titles 100-yards, 220-yards, 440-yards, 880-yards and one other title. He was rewarded by being selected in the Australian and New Zealand Championship meeting, held in Melbourne, Australia.

Again, he won all titles in 1908, 1912,1913,1914

1910 he won all but the 100-yards an 880-yards titles

1911 the 100-yard race was the only event of which he was not the winner.

London Festival of Empire Games at the Crystal Palace, in 1911. He pulled out of the mile race, and he failed to win any titles. This was a forerunner to the Commonwealth Games.

During this visit he won the long-distance Championship of England

5-miles 60-yards and half -mile championship of the Thames.

Winner of the King’s Cup lifesaving contest

1912 Olympic Games Stockholm, Sweden

Malcolm Champion was the Flag Bearer for the Australasian Team

He competed in the 400m and 1500m freestyle events.

He finished second in his 400m heat behind Harold Hardwick and before finishing fourth in the semi-final to be eliminated. He placed 6^th of 26.

In the 1500m event, he placed second in both the heat and semi-final. He qualified for the final of the 1500 metres event but was unplaced before abandoning in the final after 600m. He was placed 5^th of 19.

Olympics 4x 200m Freestyle relay team final 15th July 1912

With three Australians, C. Healy, H. Hardwick and L. Boardman, he was a member of the Australian and New Zealand team victorious in the 800m relay. An ear infection with Bill Longworth resulted in Champion being promoted to the 4 x 200m freestyle relay team. In the final, Champion swam the second leg and started equal with the American Swimmer after Cecil Healy’s first leg before building up a 10m lead in his leg. Les Boardman extended the lead to 15m before Harold Hardwick held off Duke Kahanamoku to claim the gold medal in the work record time of 10:11.6.

This is the only occasion on which a New Zealand swimmer has participated in an Olympic Victory

Malcolm was inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in 1990.

http://www.nzhalloffame.co.nz/Inductees/C/Malcolm-Champion

“One of New Zealand’s greatest swimmers, Champion was the first New Zealander to win an Olympic gold medal - though he won it in the name of Australasia, the combined team that took part in the 1908 and 1912 Olympics.”

In 2005 the winning relay team was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame, making Champion the only non-Australian inductee. The gold medal swimming team were awarded “Team Sport Australia Award”.

It has been very interesting researching and learning about Malcolm Champion. The news of the 1912 Stockholm Olympic Gold Medal being found was so exciting. I emailed NZ Team committee and received a lovely reply, and they were pleased to be able to meet family members this month and interested to learn that the Norfolk Island Central School sports ground is named “Malcolm Champion Oval”.

I am sure I will continue to learn more about this interesting Olympic Gold swimming champion. I enjoy chatting with his family members, descendants of Malcom Champion, I am sure there are many more interesting stories to read about this outstanding Norfolk Islander. I will feel proud every time I see his sign at the sports oval at Norfolk Island Central School

Betty Matthews

19 July 2024