Ernest Chapman
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Olympic medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's rowing | ||
 | 1952 Helsinki | Men's eight |
Ernest William Chapman, OAM (11 April 1926 – 21 March 2013)[1] was an Australian rower and a lifelong clubman at the Sydney Rowing Club. He competed and won a bronze medal at the 1952 Summer Olympics.
Chapman's rowing career started at the Balmain Rowing Club in Sydney but he switched allegiance to the Sydney Rowing Club at the end of the 1940s and commenced a long association with the Sydney club.[2]
Chapman's first state selection for New South Wales came in 1950 as a reserve for the men's senior eight contesting the King's Cup at the annual Australian Interstate Regatta. He was a reserve for the New South Wales eights of 1951 and 1953 and rowed in the four seat of the 1952 King's Cup crew.[3]
He served as vice-captain of Sydney Rowing Club for eight consecutive seasons from 1951. He was the club president in two tenures, firstly from 1975 to 1978 and then from 1979 till 1995.
From 1966 until 1972 Chapman coached the 1st Eight at Newington College in the Sydney GPS Head of the River from their boat shed at Abbotsford on the Parramatta River.[4][5]