Arthur Rowe (athlete)

Arthur Rowe (August 17, 1936 – September 13, 2003) was a track and field athlete from England, who represented Great Britain at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy. He won the gold medal in the men's shot put event at the 1958 European Championships in Stockholm, Sweden.

Born in Barnsley, Rowe became the Commonwealth and European shot champion in 1958. He was England's first truly world-class thrower. He set a total number of fifteen British records, from 16.94m in 1958 to 19.56 in 1961; five of these were also European records, and he was AAA champion each year 1957-1961.

Rowe ended his amateur athletics career on the edge of greatness at the age of 25 when he signed to play professional rugby league for Oldham. Little came of that, but he enjoyed much success for many years on the Scottish Highland Games circuit as a thrower, being proclaimed world caber-tossing champion in 1970.

Always a hell raiser, Rowe was one of the most controversial amateurs ever to putt a shot. Instead of appearing at important AAA meetings he would go to minor meetings and, contrary to all amateur rules, often took back-handers for appearances.

When Rowe was only ten years old he won a voucher worth three shillings and sixpence (17½ pence) for swimming. A born professional, he cashed the voucher and went to the pictures. Rowe was a member of Doncaster Plant Works AC, where he had been a blacksmith.

References

* [http://www.olympics.org.uk/athleterecord.aspx?at=2708 British Olympic Committee]
* [http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/buzzmethru/higames/halfame.htm Highland Games]