John Ranch

Australian rower

John Ranch

Personal information

Born| 16 November 1940
Died| 15 September 2022
Sport
Sport| Rowing
Club| SUBC

Medal record

Men's rowing
Representing  Australia
Men's rowing
|  1968 Mexico City | Men's eight

John Raymond "JR" Ranch (born 16 November 1940) is an Australian former rower, twice a national champion and a silver medal winner at the 1968 Summer Olympics.

## Early life

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Ranch was born in Bondi, New South Wales and moved to Orange, New South Wales at four years of age when his father became the licensee of the Tourist Hotel there. He was schooled at the Santa Maria Convent school and then at De La Salle College, Orange. He attended Sydney University from 1959, and joined the Sydney University Boat Club as well as rowing in surf boats at the Bondi Surf Club.[1]

## Rowing career

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From the Sydney University Boat Club Ranch was chosen to represent Australia in a Trans-Tasman regatta against New Zealand in 1965 rowing in the four seat of the men's eight. That crew placed second in both of its match races.[2] In 1966 Ranch was seated at bow in the Australian men's coxed four which competed at the second ever World Rowing Championships in Bled, Yugoslavia and placed eighth.[3] In 1968 he was seated at three in the Australian men's eight which won the silver medal at the Mexico Olympics.[4]

Ranch rowed in New South Wales representative state eights contesting the King's Cup at the Australian Interstate Regatta on three occasions in 1966, 1968, 1969 and won King's Cup in 1968.[5] At the 1966 Australian Rowing Championships in a composite SRC/SUBC crew Ranch, Chris Stevens, Alf Duval, Peter Dickson, and cox Brian Thomas won the Australian coxed four title.[6]

On retirement, he coached at Sydney University and the Sydney Rowing Club. In 1985 again as a rower, Ranch represented Australia at the World Masters Games in Toronto, Canada.

## References

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1. ^ Ranch at the Orange Hall of Fame
2. ^ 1965 Trans Tasman series
3. ^ "1966 World Championships". Archived from the original on 21 October 2014. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
4. ^ "1968 Olympics". Archived from the original on 24 October 2018. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
5. ^ "1968 Interstate Regatta". Archived from the original on 2 August 2018. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
6. ^ 1966 Australian Championships

## External links

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* Olympic profile
* John Ranch at World Rowing