Grant's Story
1963 -
Queensland kayaker Grant Davies won not only a silver medal, but also the respect and admiration of millions of sports fans with his performance in Seoul. In the final of the men’s K1 1000m, Davies and American legend Greg Barton engaged in a classic duel, racing across the line locked together. The scoreboard flashed up that Davies had won the race and he began celebrating a famous victory. However, the race jury was still examining the photo of the finish. After more than 10 minutes, they announced Barton had won the race by 0.005 seconds – about a centimetre. Where lesser men would have complained, Davies accepted the decision with true sportsmanship, famously saying “If that’s the biggest disappointment in my life, I’ve got no problems.” His outstanding spirit won him acclaim world-wide.
