Frederick Ross "Buddy" Lucas (22 May 1931 – 18 October 2002) was a New Zealand swimmer and surf lifesaver.

Buddy Lucas
Personal information
Full nameFrederick Ross Lucas
Born(1931-05-22)22 May 1931
Auckland, New Zealand
Died18 October 2002(2002-10-18) (aged 71)
Auckland, New Zealand
RelativesFred Lucas (father)
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesFreestyle
College teamUniversity of Iowa
Medal record
Men's swimming
Representing  New Zealand
British Empire Games
Gold medal – first place 1950 Auckland 880 y Freestyle Relay
Silver medal – second place 1954 Vancouver 330 y Medley Relay
Bronze medal – third place 1950 Auckland 440 yards Freestyle
Bronze medal – third place 1950 Auckland 1650 yards Freestyle

Biography

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Lucas was born in Auckland in 1931, the son of All Black Fred Lucas. He was educated at Mt Albert Grammar School, where he excelled at rugby and swimming.[1]

At the 1950 British Empire Games he won a gold medal as part of the men's 880 yards Freestyle Relay and two bronze medals in the 440 and 1650 yards freestyle races.[2]

Lucas won a swimming scholarship to the University of Iowa in 1951, becoming the first New Zealander to win a sports scholarship to the United States. Lucas travelled to Iowa via the United Kingdom, where he won the 220 yards and 440 yards freestyle events at the British championships.[1] In 1952, despite being rated the second-best swimmer in the British Empire, his nomination for the New Zealand team for the Helsinki Olympics was rejected.[3]

In 1954 at the Vancouver British Empire and Commonwealth Games Lucas won a silver medal as part of the men's 330 yards medley relay.[2]

After his return to New Zealand from Iowa in 1957, Lucas worked in his father's menswear store in Queen Street, Auckland, and later was a sales representative for May & Baker.[3] He was active in surf lifesaving, having joined the Piha Surf Life Saving Club in 1944,[4] and served as the club's president for 16 years.[1] In 1958 he won the men's open individual surf race at the New Zealand national surf lifesaving championships.[5]

Lucas died in Auckland in 2002 after a short illness.[1][6]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d Potter, Tony (27 October 2002). "Buoyant Buddy worked on water". Sunday Star Times. p. 11.
  2. ^ a b Buddy Lucas - profile at the New Zealand Olympic Committee website Archived 20 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  3. ^ a b Thompson, Wayne (26 October 2002). "Obituary: Buddy Lucas". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  4. ^ Buddy Lucas 1931–2002. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  5. ^ Romanos, J. (2001) New Zealand sporting records and lists. Auckland: Hodder Moa Beckett.
  6. ^ Thompson, Wayne (24 October 2002). "Rescuers salute Piha's local hero". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 12 July 2013.