Ian Ferguson (canoeist)

Ian Ferguson 2012

Ian Gordon Ferguson (born July 20, 1952 in Taumarunui , New Zealand ) is a former New Zealand canoeist and rescue athlete .

Ian Ferguson took part in canoeing five times in the Olympic Games from 1976 to 1992 . With four gold medals he is the most successful athlete in New Zealand at the Olympic Games.

Career

After Ferguson 1976 could not reach the final in single kayak, he was in 1980 one of only four athletes from New Zealand that despite the Olympic boycott took part in the Games of Moscow. He reached the finals on both routes in a single kayak and took 7th place over 500 meters and 8th place over 1000 meters.

After the Games, Ferguson retired from racing and opened a shop in Auckland. In 1983 he returned to competitive sport and was runner-up in the 500 meter world championship.

In 1984 the Eastern Bloc boycotted the Olympic Games. Ian Ferguson won the 500 meters in a single kayak and, together with Paul MacDonald, also won the 500 meters in a two-person kayak. Both canoeists then sat in the foursome, which also won gold. For his success he was appointed a member of the Order of the British Empire .

By winning the world championship title in two-person kayaks over 500 meters in 1985 and over 1000 meters in 1987, Ferguson and MacDonald proved that they could survive even when all countries were at the start.

At the 1988 Olympic Games , Ferguson and MacDonald won gold over 500 meters and silver over 1000 meters. In 1992 Ferguson was at the start again at the age of 40 and, together with MacDonald, was able to reach 8th place over 1000 meters.

family

Ferguson and his wife Alison have two sons: Steven was a successful swimmer and competed in the 100m and 200m breaststroke in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. At the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens he took part in the canoe competitions in singles and twos (with Ben Fouhy).

Rescue Sports

Ferguson was also one of New Zealand's top rescue athletes. In 1972 he became national champion in Ironman, Surf Ski and long board races. He then won the Ironman titles in 1974, 75 and 76, the Surf Ski Race 1976, 77 and 90, and the Paddle Board Race in 1976. He also won gold and silver medals at the World Rescue Championships.

literature

• Volker Kluge : Summer Olympic Games. The Chronicle III. Mexico City 1968 - Los Angeles 1984. Sportverlag Berlin, Berlin 2000, ISBN 3-328-00741-5 .
• Volker Kluge: Summer Olympic Games. Chronicle IV. Seoul 1988 - Atlanta 1996. Sportverlag Berlin, Berlin 2002, ISBN 3-328-00830-6 .

Web links

• Ian Ferguson . Fergs Kayaks Ltd, archived from the original onOctober 16, 2005; accessed on June 4, 2018(English, original website no longer available). 
• Ian Ferguson in the Sports-Reference database (English; archived from the original )

Individual evidence

1. ^ London Gazette  (Supplement). No. 49970, HMSO, London, June 16, 1984, p. 2 ( PDF , accessed August 3, 2020, English).