There could not have been amore fitting close to the outstanding career of Guy Nickalls than an Olympic gold medal. Rowing in the winning Leander eight at the 1908 Olympics at the age of 41 years and 251 days, Nickalls is the oldest rowing champion in Olympic history. Educated at Eton and Magdalen College, Oxford, Nickalls rowed in the University Boat Race five times (1887-91) and was the Oxford President in 1890. He also had a remarkable record at Henley, losing only 13 of the 81 races in which he took part and winning the Stewards’ seven times, the Goblets six times, the Diamonds five times, the Grand four times, and the Wingfield four times. At the outbreak of war, Nickalls was approaching his 50th birthday but he enlisted in the Army and served in France at the superintendent of bayonet training with the Royal Engineers. After the war, he resumed his career as a stockbroker. While motoring to Scotland on his annual fishing holiday he was involved in a car crash near Leeds and died in hospital the following day. His son, Guy Oliver Nickalls, won an Olympic silver medal in the eights in 1920 and 1928.
Great Britain