Malcolm Malpass

Malcolm Malpass hailed from the north-east of England and attended Consett Grammar School, where he was Head Boy in 1965. Outside school, canoeing and motor cycling where his passions, but after winning a scholarship to Imperial College (University of London) he was encouraged to join the boat club and his association with rowing started. He also joined the Tyne Amateur Rowing Club and in just two years Malpass went from novice oarsman to Olympian.

Malpass was a member of the London University eight that won the Grand Challenge Cup at Henley a couple of months before the 1968 Olympics. The crew went on to represent Great Britain at the Mexico Games and, in their repêchage heat, Malpass collapsed mid-race and his heart was reported to have stopped beating for between 10-12 seconds. He was carried unconscious from the boat suffering from oxygen starvation due to the Mexican altitude and was unable to take part in the B Final, with his place being taken by reserve Jock Mullard. After leaving Imperial College with a mechanical engineering degree, Malpass became a physics teacher in his native north-east.