Jack Sinclair (physiologist)

Born in Auckland on 14 March 1927, Sinclair was the fourth of 10 children of Ernest Duncan Sinclair and Florence Pyrenes Sinclair (née Kennedy).^[1][2][3] His siblings included the historian Keith Sinclair and the journalist and talkback radio host Geoff Sinclair.^[4][5] Jack Sinclair was educated at Mount Albert Grammar School, and went on to study at the University of Otago, from where he graduated Bachelor of Medical Sciences in 1948^[6] and MB ChB.^[3]

In 1952, Sinclair married Patricia Colleen Dunn, and the couple went on to have four children.^[1]

Sinclair was prominent as a middle-distance athlete during his time as a student at the University of Otago. At the 1946 New Zealand University Easter tournament in Christchurch, he won the one mile, finished second in the 880 yards and third in the three miles.^[7][8] In 1947, he won the Otago 880 yards championship in a time of 2:02.2, defeating Arch Jelley,^[9] and was the New Zealand University champion for both the 880 yards and one mile.^[10] The following year, representing Otago, Sinclair won the first of his two New Zealand national one-mile titles, defeating Maurice Marshall in a time of 4:23.4 at the national championships in Dunedin, and also finished second in the 880 yards.^[10] A few weeks later, he broke Jack Lovelock's university record of 4:28.0 for the mile, running 4:23.6 at the Otago University sports.^[11] Also in 1948, Sinclair retained his New Zealand University 880 yards and one-mile titles.^[12]

In 1949, the first ever official athletic test between New Zealand and Australia was held at Athletic Park, Wellington, on 5 March, with Sinclair representing New Zealand in the one mile. He finished second, behind Australian national champion John Marks.^[13] A week later, Sinclair placed third in the mile at the national amateur athletic championships in Christchurch, behind Neil Bates and Maurice Marshall.^[14] At the 1949 New Zealand University Easter tournament, Sinclair retained his one-mile title, lowering the New Zealand university record for the distance to 4:20.1,^[15] and he was subsequently named in the New Zealand Universities squad to travel to Sydney to compete against Australian university teams.^[16] Competing against Combined Australian Universities, Sinclair placed second behind Australian Don MacMillan in the one mile,^[17] but he won the same event at a meeting with Sydney University Athletic Club a few days later.^[18] At the Auckland athletic championships held in December 1949, Sinclair dead-heated for first with Neil Wilson in the men's 880 yards, both recording a time of 1:53.6.^[19]

On 2 January 1950, at the national athletic championships held in Napier, Sinclair won what was at the time described as "the greatest mile ever run in New Zealand". His time of 4:13.5 in beating Maurice Marshall and Neil Bates in a closely contested race was a New Zealand resident record, narrowly eclipsing the 4:13.6 set by Randolph Rose in 1926 at Masterton.^[20] Sinclair then competed in the men's one mile at the 1950 British Empire Games in Auckland.^[21] He finished third in his heat, recording a time of 4:19.8 in a close race, to progress to the final.^[22] In the final, he placed sixth in 4:20.0, with the winner, Canadian Bill Parnell, recording an Empire Games record of 4:11.0 and Maurice Marshall, the best-placed New Zealander, finishing third with a time of 4:13.2.^[23]