Harry Blackstaffe

Biographical information

RolesCompeted in Olympic Games • Referee
SexMale
Full nameHenry Thomas "Harry"•Blackstaffe
Used nameHarry•Blackstaffe
Nick/petnamesBlackie
Born28 July 1868 in Islington, England (GBR)
Died22 August 1951 in West Wickham, England (GBR)
Measurements68 kg
AffiliationsVesta Rowing Club, Putney (GBR)
NOC Great Britain
Medals OG
Gold 1
Silver 0
Bronze 0
Total 1

Biography

Three days after his 40th birthday, Harry Blackstaffe of the Vesta Rowing club met Alexander McCulloch of Winchester and University College, Oxford in the final of the singles sculls in the 1908 Olympics, a race that brought together the two men who were undoubtedly the best scullers in England. Although McCulloch was exactly half Blackstaffe’s age, the final proved be the finest race of the Olympic Regatta and it was impossible to pick the winner until the last 50 yards when Blackstaffe held on to his light advantage to become the oldest sculling champion in Olympic history. After this great victory, Blackstaffe retired and ended a career which had brought him nine victories in the London Cup, five wins in the Wingfield Sculls and one victory in the Diamond Sculls. All these successes proved particularly gratifying to a man who, because he was a butcher, initially experienced great difficulty in having his entry accepted for Henley. Following his Olympic victory, Blackstaffe was made a Freeman of the City of London and at the time of his death he was Senior Life Vice-President of the Amateur Rowing Association. Blackstaffe was also a useful cross-country runner and represented South London Harriers in the National Championships. In 1903 he won the Nicholson Cup 10-mile race, and in the field was Alf Shrubb, who went on to win the International Cross Country Championship just two months later. Blackstaffe’s all-round sporting ability extended further, to boxing. A member of the Amateur Boxing Association, he regularly refereed at the ABA Championships and was one of the officials at the 1908 London Olympics.

Results

Games Discipline (Sport) / Event NOC / Team Pos Medal As
1908 Summer Olympics Rowing GBR Harry Blackstaffe
Single Sculls, Men (Olympic) 1 Gold

Referee

Games Sport (Discipline) / Event NOC / Team Phase Unit Role As
1908 Summer Olympics Boxing GBR Harry Blackstaffe
Bantamweight, Men (Olympic) Match #1 Johnny Condon — Wally Webb Referee
Featherweight, Men (Olympic) Match #1 Dick Gunn — Tom Ringer Referee
Lightweight, Men (Olympic) Match #1 Harry Johnson — Hemming Hansen Judge #2
Lightweight, Men (Olympic) Match #2 Harry Holmes — Alfred Bouvier Judge #2
Lightweight, Men (Olympic) Match #5 Matt Wells — Valdemar Holberg Referee
Middleweight, Men (Olympic) Match #2 Snowy Baker — Bill Dees Judge #1
Middleweight, Men (Olympic) Match #3 William Philo — Arthur Murdoch Judge #1
Middleweight, Men (Olympic) Match #5 John Douglas — René Doudelle Judge #1