Jack Lovelock Statue to be unveiled

Media Release - November 13 2002

A life-size bronze statue of one of the New Zealand’s greatest ever sportsmen Jack Lovelock will be unveiled at his old school Timaru Boys’ High School tomorrow night.

Lovelock was dux, head prefect and athletic champion of the school at the school the late 1920s before going on to win a 1500m gold medal at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

He is the only New Zealander to have held both the mile and 1500m track world records, a feat that eluded Peter Snell and John Walker.

His 1938 gold medal 1500m run was one of the highlights of the Berlin Olympics.

The bronze statue in the grounds of Timaru Boys’ High is a match for the Bob Fitzsimmons statue that graces central Timaru. Fitzsimmons was a world heavyweight boxing champion.

Artist Margauritte Windhausen was commissioned to create both statues.

The funding for the Lovelock statue came from the late Joe Wilson, a Timaru old boy who died earlier this year.

``In his final months, Wilson ensured all was in place for his dream to be fulfilled,’’ Central South Island Tourism manager Glen O’Brien said today.

``Lovelock visited his old school after the 1936 Games. His array of medals and the oak tree presented to him on the victory dais still grace his old school,’’ Mr O’Brien said.

His family have gifted to deposited at the school a special collection of items relating to his career. They include his valuable diaries and sporting trophies.

Among the items in the school’s priceless collection are the trophy posthumously awarded to him recently as New Zealand’s sports champion of the 1930s and the 1500 metre Olympic gold medal he won at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

A stopwatch presented to Lovelock by commentator and Olympic gold medallist Harold Abrahams is also among the collection.

Lovelock was born in Crushington on the West Coast and died at tragically in the US at the age of 40 on December 28, 1949.

Ends

For further more information about the Lovelock collection contact:
Central South Island Tourism General Manager Glen O’Brien. glen@timaru.com. Kip Brook, Word of Mouth Media NZ, Ph: 03 374 5426

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