single-handedly in Kansas, collapsing from a
flu bug or something, waking up in the hospital,
checking himself out immediately, and going back
and finishing the building.
>
© IOC/Olympic Museum Collections
Many times he managed single-handedly to
manoeuvre 300 pound (140kg) eights from the
floor of the Stanford boathouse up onto the fourth
rack!”
Fellow Olympian Ted Nash: “At 6’ 7” [204cm], Conn
was naturally a very strong man, but his strong
suit wasn’t coordination. He hated straight fours.
He hated straight pairs. He didn’t like the single
until his later years. He was perfectly suited to
the coxed-pair. He loved the coxswain because
his weight kept the boat stable.”
Edward Ferry, Findlay’s pair partner for the 1964
Olympics: “As a college sophomore in 1961 with
only one year of rowing experience, Conn Findlay
asked me to row a pair with him, which we did
for the next four years. I could not believe it. The
chance of a lifetime! In our first month of rowing
the pair together, Conn turned to me once and
said, ‘You’ll have to row harder than that.’ I knew that
was the last time I would get to hear that sentence,
as the next time I would be gone.”
“I had been sailing since I was a child and as I grew
older I got involved more and then started sailing
internationally.” Findlay says there is a lot of overlap
between rowing and sailing. “In both you’re
working against water. One way or another, you’re
in the same element. Both sports are affected by
wind and water.”
row recreationally in a single. He also remained very
much involved for more than half a century with
coaching, umpiring and as boatman for several
US rowing teams.
Conn Findlay (stroke seat) wins
gold in the coxed pair with
Edward Ferry and cox Kent
Mitchell at the 1964 Olympic
Games in Tokyo.
Findlay’s Olympic experience stretched further
than rowing. For the 1976 Olympics he was teamed
up with legendary sailor Dennis Conner and won
bronze in sailing’s Tempest class.
Findlay believes that he is one of only about
six athletes that have medalled in more than one
sport at the Olympic Games. Recently he has taken
a keen interest in Rebecca Romero (GBR) who has
medalled in rowing and cycling and could be looking
at a third sport for the 2012 London Olympics.
When Findlay moved on from competitive rowing
he never took up masters rowing, but continued to
Findlay continues to be remembered. In 1996
he was named as one of the top 100 American
Olympians and got a free trip to the Atlanta
Olympics to watch the opening ceremony plus
the first week of competition. “I was the only rower
there, so, yes, I was surprised,” recalls Findlay. In 2005
Findlay was inducted into Stanford University’s
Hall of Fame. Findlay coached at Stanford for a
number of years. Then in 2007 Findlay was named
USRowing’s Man of the Year in recognition of his
contribution to men’s rowing. ■ M.S. B.
