Lessor Known Australian Sporting Champions Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. I was a world record holder and Olympic gold medallist whilst studying law in Australia and later in the USA. I was appointed a judge of the United States District Court by US President Ronald Reagan. Who am I?

Answer: John Davies

John Davies won gold in the 200m Breaststroke at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. It was Australia's only swimming gold medal at these games. John was married in the USA and took out US citizenship. He passed the bar examinations and became an attorney. In 1993 he was named District Court Judge of the Year by the Los Angeles County Bar Association. Murray Rose also studied and lived in the USA for many years.

He won 4 Olympic gold medals. John Marshall also studied in the USA and was a multiple world record holder but sadly never won gold at the Olympics. Robert Windle also studied in the USA and won gold in Tokyo in 1964 the 1500m Freestyle.

2. I grew up on a farm in Victoria and became the youngest World Champion in my sport at the age of 20. My sport is very English and we use a wooden mallet. Who am I?

Answer: Robert Fletcher

Robert Fletcher became World Champion at Croquet in 2014. He was a semi-finalist at the World Championships in 2009 as a 15 year old. He lives in Dundonnell in the western district of Victoria. Robert Fahey has been the Real Tennis world champion from 1994-2014. Real Tennis is the original racquet sport that modern tennis is derived but is played in-doors. Sinclair Hill was Australia's foremost polo player. Geoff Hunt (squash) won the International Amateur Individual Championship in 1967 aged 20 but Geoff is from Melbourne.

He won the World Open 4 times the first being in 1976. The youngest World Open Champion in squash was Jahangir Khan (Pakistan) aged 17 in 1981.

3. I am a dual Olympic gold medallist (the same event at consecutive Olympics in 1956 and 1960) who studied medicine and have been made a fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and the Royal College of Surgeons of England. The swimming pool at the University of Queensland was renamed in my honour. Who am I?

Answer: David Theile

David won gold in the 100m Backstroke at the 1956 and 1960 Olympics. He retired after the 1956 Olympics to pursue his medical studies and skipped the 1958 Commonwealth Games in Cardiff. He came back to the pool in 1959 and qualified for Rome to defend his title.

Henriks, Devitt and Wenden are also dual Olympic gold medallists. Henriks (1956- 100m Freestyle and 2 x 200m Relay), Devitt (1956-2x 200m Relay and 1960 100m freestyle) and Wenden (1968- 100m and 200m Freestyle).

4. I won a total of thirteen Grand Slam titles in Singles (two), Doubles (seven) and mixed doubles (four). My husband won the Australian Grand Slam singles title. I won all of my titles with my maiden name. Who am I?

Answer: Lesley Turner

Lesley Turner won the French Open in 1963 and 1965 plus 11 Grand Slam doubles and mixed doubles titles. She married Bill Bowrey in 1968 and he won the Australian Open in the same year. Kerry Melville won the Australian Open in 1977 and 3 Grand Slam Doubles titles. Judy Tegart won 8 Grand Slam doubles titles and 1 Grand Slam mixed doubles title. Wendy Turnbull won 4 Grand Slam doubles titles.

5. This person's swimming career spanned only two years but in that short space of time he set world record times for 200, 300, 400, 500, 1,000 yards and the mile. Sadly, he passed away at age 19. Who was this champion swimmer?

Answer: Bernard Kieran

Bernard Kieran (1886-1905) was sent to reform school at age 13 and it was there that he was introduced to swimming. He broke world records in Australia and England. Sadly, he died in 1905 following an appendectomy. Cecil Healy (1881-1918) won gold at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics in the 2 x 200m freestyle relay. John Marshall (1930-1957) was also a multiple world record holder. Kevin Berry (1945-2006) won gold at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics in the 200m Butterfly.

6. There have been a number of ladies who have been the sole female gold medallist from our female representatives at a summer Olympics. After the London Olympics (2012), I am the only one who was a track and field gold medal winner, the rest have been swimmers. Who am I!

Answer: Glynis Nunn

Glynis Nunn won gold at Los Angeles (1984) in the Heptathlon (7 events). Sarah "Fanny" Durack won gold at Stockholm (1912) in the 100m Freestyle. Clare Dennis at Los Angeles (1932) in the 200m Backstroke and Michelle Ford in Moscow (1980) in the 800m Freestyle. Dawn Fraser was also a sole female gold medallist in Rome (1960) in the 100m Freestyle and at the Winter Olympics Alison Camplin at Salt Lake City (2002) in the Freestyle Skiing.

7. I won Olympic gold in the hop, step and jump (triple jump). Another Australian jumper (no relation) with the same surname also won Olympic Gold 24 years late. Who are we?

Answer: Nick & John Winter

Anthony "Nick" Winter won the triple jump in 1924 and John Winter won the high jump in 1948. Neil Brooks won Gold in 1980 in the 4 100m Medley Relay and Travis Brooks won Gold in the Men's Field Hockey in 2004. Scott & Thomas Anderson were both sailors, Scott winning Gold in the Star Class in 1972 and Thomas winning Gold in the Dragon Class also in 1972. David Green was an equestrian and won Gold in the Team Eventing in 1992 and Nick Green was part of the "Oarsome Foursome" that won rowing Gold in 1992 and 1996.

8. I was the first Australian born player to win a golfing Grand Slam event. Who am I?

Answer: Jim Ferrier

Jim Ferrier (1915-1986) was born in Sydney and won the Australian Amateur title (4 times) and the Australian Open title (twice) also as an amateur. He went to the USA in 1940 as a golf journalist and turned professional in 1941 and became an American citizen in 1944.

He won the US PGA Championship in 1947. In his career he had 31 professional victories with 18 on the PGA Tour. Peter Thomson won 5 British Open Titles. David Graham won the US PGA Championship in 1979 and was our first winner of the US Open in 1981. Wayne Grady won the US PGA Championship in 1990.

9. I was born in 1893 and became the first Australian to become a Track Cycling World Champion. Who am I?

Answer: Bob Spears

Bob Spears (1893-1950) was active on the road and track from 1913-1928. He won the gold in the sprint at the World Championships in Antwerp in 1920. He won silver in the same event in 1921 and 1922. He also won six-day races in Australia, USA and Europe. Sid Patterson ( 1927 - 1999) won 4 world titles (2 amateur and 2 professional) from (1949 - 1953). Gordon Johnson won gold in the sprint at the 1970 World Championship and silver in the same event in 1972. John Nicholson won gold in the sprint at the World Championships in 1975 and 1976.

10. During my career I won twelve tennis Grand Slam doubles and mixed doubles titles. All of my Grand Slam mixed doubles titles (ten) were with the same person. Who am I?

Answer: Ken Fletcher

Ken Fletcher (1940-2006) was beaten in the final of the Australian Open by Roy Emerson in 1963. His partner in all his 10 Grand Slam mixed doubles titles was Margaret Court. In the calendar year of 1963 they won the 4 major mixed doubles titles(Australian, French, Wimbledon and US).

He became the first male player to achieve this feat. Jack Crawford (1980-1991) won 18 Grand Slam events (6 singles, 7 doubles and 5 mixed doubles). Adrian Quist (1913-1991) won 17 Grand Slam events (3 singles and 14 doubles). John Bromwich (1918-1999) won 19 Grand Slam events (2 singles, 13 doubles and 4 mixed doubles).

Source: Author zambesi

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor 1nn1 before going online.
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There have been numerous sporting champions from Australia over the years. Sadly, many of them are forgotten or relatively unknown so here are a few that deserve to be remembered and recognised.

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