Eric Verdonk

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name = Eric Verdonk

| image = Eric Verdonk 2009.jpg

| alt =

| caption = Verdonk in 2009

| fullname = Eric Franciscus Maria Verdonk{{cite web| url= https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ve/eric-verdonk-1.html| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200417183849/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ve/eric-verdonk-1.html| url-status= dead| archive-date= 17 April 2020| title=Eric Verdonk| publisher=Sports Reference| access-date=3 April 2020}}

| birth_date = {{birth date|1959|5|28|df=y}}

| birth_place = Taihape, New Zealand

| death_date = {{death-date and age|3 April 2020|28 May 1959}}

| death_place = Auckland, New Zealand

| residence =

| education =

| alma_mater =

| occupation =

| years_active =

| spouse =

| height = {{convert|189|cm|ftin|abbr=on}}

| weight = {{convert|85|kg|lb|abbr=on}}

| sport = Rowing

| club =

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry | {{NZL}} }}

}}

Eric Franciscus Maria Verdonk (28 May 1959 – 3 April 2020) was a New Zealand rower who won bronze medals in the single sculls events at the 1988 Summer Olympics, 1986 Commonwealth Games, and 1990 World Rowing Championships.

Career

Verdonk began rowing at Westlake Boys High School in Forrest Hill, Auckland. In 1976, he won the Maadi Cup.{{cite web| url= http://www.tgsrowing.org.nz/eric-verdonk| title= Our Head Coach - Eric Verdonk| publisher=Takapuna Grammar School| access-date=3 April 2020}} He was a member of the North Shore Rowing Club,{{Cite news|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/other-sports/120802949/rowing-olympic-medallist-eric-verdonk-dies-following-cancer-battle|work=Stuff.co.nz|date=3 April 2020|access-date=3 April 2020|title=Rowing Olympic medallist Eric Verdonk dies following cancer battle}} joining the club in 1973.

At the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, Verdonk won a bronze medal in the single sculls;{{cite news| url= https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/sport/other/very-kind-man-huge-heart-kiwi-rowing-icon-eric-verdonk-remembered| title= 'A very kind man with a huge heart' - Kiwi rowing icon Eric Verdonk remembered| work=TVNZ| date=3 April 2020| access-date=3 April 2020}} the race was won by Steve Redgrave. He also came fourth in the double sculls event at the Games.

At the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, Verdonk competed in the single sculls. He won his heat, came third in his semi-final,{{cite web| url= https://olympic.org.nz/athletes/eric-verdonk| title= Eric Verdonk| publisher=Olympic| access-date=3 April 2020}} and finished third in the final behind Thomas Lange and Peter-Michael Kolbe. At the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Verdonk finished fourth, and at one point in the race was 0.62 seconds behind Pole Kajetan Broniewski, who finished third.{{cite book| title=Olympische Sommerspiele| language=de| last=Kluge| first=Volker| author-link=Volker Kluge| volume=4| publisher={{ill|Sportverlag Berlin|de}}| page=500| ISBN=3-328-00830-6}}

In total, he competed at five World Rowing Championships,{{cite news| url= https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/sport/2020/04/rowing-former-olympic-medalist-eric-verdonk-dies-after-cancer-battle.html| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200405023712/https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/sport/2020/04/rowing-former-olympic-medalist-eric-verdonk-dies-after-cancer-battle.html| url-status= dead| archive-date= 5 April 2020| title= Rowing: Former Olympic medallist Eric Verdonk dies after cancer battle| last=Robinson| first=Luke| work=Newshub|date=3 April 2020| access-date=3 April 2020}} and his best result was third, at the 1990 in Tasmania, Australia.{{cite news| url= https://www.insidethegames.biz/index.php/articles/1092754/olympic-rower-verdonk-dies-aged-60| title= Olympic bronze medal-winning rower Verdonk dies aged 60| last=Etchells| first=Daniel| work=Inside the Games| date=3 April 2020| access-date=3 April 2020}} Verdonk was sixth in the single sculls at the 1987 World Rowing Championships in Copenhagen, and was fifth in the single sculls at the 1991 World Rowing Championships in Vienna.

In 1994, Verdonk won the double sculls event at the Commonwealth Championships in Ontario, Canada, and finished second in the quad scull event. Verdonk also won the Diamond Challenge Sculls (the premier singles sculls event) at the Henley Royal Regatta, becoming the first New Zealander to win the event. Another year, Verdonk came second in the single sculls event at the Henley Royal Regatta. He won seven consecutive New Zealand single skulls national championships between 1987 and 1993. He won six New Zealand double skulls national championships, with four different partners.

Following his retirement, Verdonk worked for Waitakere Sports Association, and from 2017, Verdonk was the head coach at Takapuna Grammar School Rowing Club In March 2020, the club made him a lifetime member. Also in 2020, the New Zealand Rowing Foundation awarded Verdonk a legacy medal for his contributions to rowing in New Zealand.