Gordon Ingate

Gordon Ingate OAM is Australia’s oldest living Olympian and known as one of the most accomplished sailors in Australian history. His road to the Olympics was all but smooth sailing.

Gordon was born in 1926 in Sydney. He got right into SeaScouts at nine, then the VS Skiffs, which set his mast in the direction of not only a passion for the sport but an Olympic pathway. He built a couple of his own VCs. The first didn’t stand up to the Sydney southerlies so well, but the second was lighter and stronger and led him to state and national titles.

In 1948, aged 22, Gordon won the right to represent Australia in the London Olympics. However, he had to travel by ship to the Games and needed up to six months off work to get to England, compete and return home. Gordon was denied leave and his Olympic dream was put on hold.

In 1952 he qualified for the Helsinki Games. There were flights available, but they took 10 days to get to Finland.Again, his leave was denied and he returned to work.

In 1972 Gordon gained one more opportunity to compete in the Olympics after qualifying for the Munich Games in the Tempest Class. Now retired, he finally made his Olympic debut at the age of 46.

“It was one of the happiest teams. We had a very, very good Olympic team that year, and we won more medals than any of the previous teams,” Gordon recalls.

“There was one person with interesting results, though. One of the team members who didn’t do very well. He came second last. That was me. The guy I beat was the Prince of Siam, though,” he chuckles.

Despite not bringing an Olympic medal from Munich, Gordon has devoted his lifetime to the sport of sailing and received a number of national and international accolades.