Phil Coles

Biographical information

RolesCompeted in Olympic Games • Administrator
SexMale
Full namePhillip Walter "Phil"•Coles
Used namePhil•Coles
Born20 July 1931 in Sydney, New South Wales (AUS)
Died28 January 2023 in Sydney, New South Wales (AUS)
Measurements175 cm / 68 kg
Affiliations?, New South Wales, (AUS)
NOC Australia

Biography

Phil Coles was a flatwater canoeist who competed at three Olympic Games, from 1960-68. He won 25 national canoe championships and was a national surf lifesaving champion five times. Coles captained the first Australian surf lifeguard team to compete in California in 1965.

In sports administration Coles was a member of the Executive Board of the Australian Olympic Committee since 1973, being secretary-general from 1985-93 and then Director of International Relations from 1993-99. He was vice president and director of the Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (SOCOG) from 1993-99. He was also a founding member of the Oceania National Olympic Committees (ONOC). Coles was a board member of the Australian Sports Drug Agency from 1996-98, and was a member of the Australian Sports Commission from 1984-87 and 1989-91.

Coles has made a member of the IOC in 1982 and has been on numerous Commissions, including: Radio and Television; Joint Mass Media; Olympic Solidarity; Study and Evaluation for the Preparation of the Winter Olympic Games; Sport for All; New Sources of Financing; Marketing; Working Group on the Olympic Programme; and the Olympic Programme Commission. He served on the IOC until he turned 80 and then was made an Honorary Member on 1 January 2012. Coles was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 1983 “In recognition of service to sport,” and was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1993.

Results

Games Discipline (Sport) / Event NOC / Team Pos Medal As
1960 Summer Olympics Canoe Sprint (Canoeing) AUS Phil Coles
Kayak Singles, 1,000 metres, Men (Olympic) 4 h1 r3/4
Kayak Relay, 4 × 500 metres, Men (Olympic) Australia 3 h3 r3/4
1964 Summer Olympics Canoe Sprint (Canoeing) AUS Phil Coles
Kayak Singles, 1,000 metres, Men (Olympic) DNS
Kayak Fours, 1,000 metres, Men (Olympic) Australia 9
1968 Summer Olympics Canoe Sprint (Canoeing) AUS Phil Coles
Kayak Fours, 1,000 metres, Men (Olympic) Australia 4 h2 r3/4

Organization roles

Role Organization Tenure NOC As
Member International Olympic Committee 1982—2011 AUS Phil Coles
Honorary International Olympic Committee 2012—2023 AUS Phil Coles

Special Notes