Name John Ranch | Role Olympic athlete | |
John Raymond "JR" Ranch (born 16 November 1940) is an Australian rower a national champion and medal winner at the 1968 Summer Olympics.
He 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 by the De La Salle brothers in Orange. Attending Sydney University from 1959, Ranch joined the Sydney University Boat Club as well as rowing in surf boats at the Bondi Surf Club.
Rowing career
From the Sydney University Boat Club Ranch was chosen to represent Australia in a Trans-Tasman regatta against New Zealand in 1966 rowing in the six seat of the men's VIII. That same year Ranch was seated in the Australian VIII that competed at the World Rowing Championships in Bled, Yugoslavia. In 1968 he won the silver medal rowing in the three seat of the Australian boat in the eights competition at the Mexico Olympics.
Ranch rowed the New South Wales representative VIII in the King's Cup at the Australian Rowing Championships on three occasions in 1966, 1968, 1969 and winning the national championship in 1968.
On retirement, he coached at Sydney University and the Sydney Rowing Club. In 1985, again as a rower John represented Australia at the World Masters Games in Toronto, Canada.