Alan McCleery (June 13, 1929 – July 1, 2022) was a Canadian

sprint canoer Canoe sprint is a water sport in which athletes race in specially designed sprint canoes or sprint kayaks on calm water over a short distance. Prior to November 2008, canoe sprint was known as flatwater racing. The term is still in use today ...

, born in

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

, who competed from the late 1940s through the early 1960s. He was eliminated in the repechage round of the K-2 1000 m event at the

1960 Summer Olympics The 1960 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad () and commonly known as Rome 1960 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 25 August to 11 September 1960 in Rome, Italy. Rome had previously been awar ...

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

. McCleery grew up in Montreal and started paddling at the Grand Trunk Boating Club on the St Lawrence River. Together with K-2 partner Lou Lukanovich, McCleery qualified for the 1956 Olympic team, but did not compete once it was confirmed that Lukanovich would not be granted Canadian citizenship by the time the games started. With the Grand Trunk club severely impacted by the construction of the

St Lawrence Seaway The St. Lawrence Seaway () is a system of rivers, locks, canals and channels in Eastern Canada and Northern United States that permits oceangoing vessels to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes of North America, as far inland ...

, McCleery and Lukanovich both moved to the Cartierville Canoe Club in the late 50s. They again qualified for the Olympics in 1960. McCleery moved to

Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

in 1976 and was a common sight at the Rideau Canoe Club for more than four decades. He died in Ottawa at the age of 93.

References

External links

*
Alan McCleery's profile at Sports Reference.com
1929 births 2022 deaths Canadian male canoeists Canoeists at the 1960 Summer Olympics Olympic canoeists for Canada Canoeists from Montreal Anglophone Quebec people 20th-century Canadian sportsmen {{Canada-canoe-bio-stub