Leslie Frank "Dick" Southwood (18 January 1906 – 7 February 1986) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

rower Rowing, often called crew in the United States, is the sport of racing boats using oars. It differs from paddling sports in that rowing oars (called blades in the United Kingdom) are attached to the boat using rowlocks, while paddles are ...

who competed in the

1932 Summer Olympics The 1932 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the X Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1932) were an international multi-sport event held from July 30 to August 14, 1932, in Los Angeles, California, United States. The Games were held du ...

and in the

1936 Summer Olympics The 1936 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XI Olympiad () and officially branded as Berlin 1936, were an international multi-sport event held from 1 to 16 August 1936 in Berlin, then capital of Nazi Germany. Berlin won the bid to ...

representing Great Britain. Southwood was born in

Fulham Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies in a loop on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea, London, Chelsea ...

and was educated at

Latymer Upper School Latymer Upper School is a public school in Hammersmith, London, England, on King Street. It derives from a charity school, and is part of the same 1624 Latymer Foundation, from a bequest by the English legal official Edward Latymer. There ...

. He initially joined Auriol Rowing Club but

Jack Beresford Jack Beresford, CBE (1 January 1899 – 3 December 1977), born Jack Beresford-Wiszniewski, was a British rower who won five medals at five Olympic Games in succession. This record in Olympic rowing was not matched until 2000 when Sir Steve R ...

spotted his

sculling Sculling is the use of oars to propel a boat by moving them through the water on both sides of the craft, or moving one oar over the stern. A long, narrow boat with sliding seats, rigged with two oars per rower may be referred to as a scull, its ...

potential and persuaded him to join

Thames Rowing Club The Thames Rowing Club (TRC) is a rowing club based on the tidal River Thames, Thames as it flows through the western suburbs of London. The TRC clubhouse stands on Putney Embankment. The club was founded in 1860. As of July 2023, Thames had w ...

. He competed unsuccessfully in the

Wingfield Sculls The Wingfield Sculls is a Rowing (sport), rowing race held annually on the River Thames in London, England, on the The Championship Course, Championship Course from Putney to Mortlake. The race is between single scullers and is usually on the ...

in 1931. In 1932 he competed in the

single scull A single scull (or a scull), abbreviated as a 1x, is a racing shell designed for a single person who propels the boat with two oars, one in each hand. Racing boats (often called "shells") are long, narrow, and broadly semi-circular in cross-se ...

s rowing for Great Britain at the 1932 Summer Olympics but in the final suffered an attack of cramp in the shoulder and finished fourth. He won the Wingfield Sculls in 1933, beating the holder

Denis Guye Denis Germain Fritz Guye (20 August 1901 – 16 September 1986) was an English rower who competed for Great Britain at the 1928 Summer Olympics at Amsterdam and won the Wingfield Sculls three times. Guye was born in Brentford, the son of Fritz G ...

. In 1936 Southwood partnered

in the

double scull A double scull, also abbreviated as a 2x, is a rowing boat used in the sport of competitive rowing. It is designed for two persons who propel the boat by sculling with two oars each, one in each hand. Racing boats (often called "shells") ar ...

s for Great Britain

rowing at the 1936 Summer Olympics Rowing at the 1936 Summer Olympics featured seven events. The competitions were held from 11 to 14 August on a regatta course at Grünau on the Langer See. The competition was dominated by the hosts, Germany, who medaled in every event and t ...

in Berlin. With

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...

watching, Beresford and Southwood came from a length down to pass the Germans with 200 metres to go and won the gold medal. Beresford thus won his fifth Olympic medal and wrote later that it was "the sweetest race I ever rowed." Beresford and Southwood paired up again in 1939 in the centenary double sculls at

Henley Royal Regatta Henley Royal Regatta (or Henley Regatta, its original name pre-dating Royal patronage) is a Rowing (sport), rowing event held annually on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. It was established on 26 March 1839. It diffe ...

. They dead-heated with Scherli and Broschi of Trieste, who were the reigning European champions.Henley Royal Regatta Results of Final Races 1839–1939
Southwood died in Little Wittenham, Oxfordshire at the age of 80.

References

1906 births 1986 deaths People from Fulham Sportspeople from the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham People from Little Wittenham English male rowers British male rowers Olympic rowers for Great Britain Rowers at the 1932 Summer Olympics Rowers at the 1936 Summer Olympics English Olympic competitors Olympic gold medallists for Great Britain Olympic medalists in rowing People educated at Latymer Upper School Medalists at the 1936 Summer Olympics 20th-century English sportsmen {{UK-Olympic-medalist-stub