Athol MacDonald (born 3 September 1953) is an Australian former representative rower. He was a four-time national champion who competed at World Championships and in the men's eight event at the

1976 Summer Olympics Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 Phi ...

Club and state rowing

Raised in South Australia, MacDonald's senior rowing was from the Adelaide Rowing Club where his younger brother Chester was also a successful senior rower. Athol first made state selection for South Australia in 1973 in the men's eight which contested the

King's Cup __NOTOC__ King's Cup (incl. translations), may refer to: Sports Football * Copa del Rey, Spanish for "King's Cup," the main national knockout tournament in men's football * King Cup (sometimes named King's Cup), Saudi Arabian men's football nati ...

at the Interstate Regatta. He rowed in two further South Australian King's Cup eights in 1974 and 1975 stroking the 1975 crew to a second place. By 1976 MacDonald had relocated to Sydney and was rowing from the Mosman Rowing Club. He made state selection for New South Wales in 1976 in the four seat of the men's eight which contested and won the

at the Interstate Regatta within the Australian Rowing Championships. He rowed in another King's Cup winning New South Wales crew in 1978 and then in the New South Wales eights of 1979. At the 1975 Australian Championships MacDonald rowed in Adelaide colours in a composite South Australian four which contested and won the coxed four national title. The 1976 Australian Rowing Championships saw an open men's eight event contested (distinct from the King's Cup) and MacDonald rowed in an all-Mosman crew to win that title. In 1981 with Sydney's John Sivewright and coxed by Stephen Dadour, MacDonald won the national coxed pair title at the Australian Rowing Championships.

International representative rowing

MacDonald made his Australian representative debut at the

1976 Montreal Olympics Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 Phi ...

. The Australian men's eight for the

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was mostly that year's King's Cup winning New South Wales crew excepting Malcolm Shaw in the two seat and Brian Richardson at bow. With Macdonald rowing at three they commenced their Olympic campaign with a heat win in a new world record time and progressed to the final. In the heat Shaw suffered a collapsed vertebra which saw him out of the eight and replaced by

Peter Shakespear Peter Shakespear (born 27 September 1946) is an Australian rower. He competed at the 1972 Summer Olympics and the 1976 Summer Olympics. Shakespear is married to Wilma Shakespear Wilma Joyce Shakespear (born 4 March 1943), previously kno ...

, the reserve. In the final the Australians finished fifth.Macdonald at World Rowing
/ref> MacDonald was out of the eight for the

1977 World Rowing Championships The 1977 World Rowing Championships was the 6th World Rowing Championships. The championships were held from 19 to 28 August 1977 on the Bosbaan rowing lake in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Medal summary About 556 rowers from 28 countries competed ...

but for the 1978 Championships in Lake Karapiro, the successful New South Wales King's Cup eight was again selected and was composed of all Sydney Rowing Club men excepting MacDonald and his Mosman club-mate Gary Uebergang. The Australian eight placed second in their heat, third in the repechage and in the final finished fourth being edged out for third by the host nation New Zealand.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:MacDonald, Athol 1953 births Living people Australian male rowers Olympic rowers for Australia Rowers at the 1976 Summer Olympics Place of birth missing (living people)