Paul MacDonald

"For the Scottish footballer playing with Clyde F.C., see Paul MacDonald (footballer)"

Paul MacDonald MBE (born January 8, 1960) is a retired New Zealand professional canoer. He is widely regarded as one of New Zealand's most successful international athletes and holds innumerable international speed records in canoeing.

In the Olympic Games in Los Angeles, 1984 he earned two gold medals (K2 500m with and K4 1000m with Grant Bramwell, Alan Thompson and Ferguson). He then earned three more medals at at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, Korea. MacDonald won a gold medal in the K2 500m with Ian Ferguson,a silver medal in the K2 1000m also with Ferguson, and a bronze medal in the K1 500m. MacDonald and Ferguson also competed at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona in the K2 500 and K2 1000 and made the final of the longer race.

He also competed at the 1987 World Canoeing Championships in West Germany where Paul, with team-mate Ian Ferguson, won Gold in the K2 1000m and Silver in the K2 500m, and Gold in the individual K1 500 making him the first New Zealander to ever win an individual World Gold.

In retirement from professional competition, MacDonald has produced many television sports events and programmes including Clash of the Codes (the ultimate sporting challenge) and annually presents the Dragon Boat Festival.

External links

* [http://www.olympic.org.nz/Athletes/AthleteProfile.aspx?Print=&ContactID=1248&id=3774 Biography at New Zealand Olympic Committee]