Harry Kerr (race walker)
{{short description|New Zealand racewalker}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}{{Use New Zealand English|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name =
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| birth_name =
| full_name = Henry Edward Kerr
| nationality =
| birth_date = 28 January 1879
| birth_place = Inglewood, New Zealand
| death_date = 17 May 1951 (aged 72)
| death_place = Taranaki, New Zealand
| height = 1.84 m
| weight = 76 kg
| country =
| sport = Athletics
| club =
| retired =
| olympics =
| highestranking =
| relatives = Winston Cowie (great-grandson)
| show-medals = yes
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalCountry | {{ANZ}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|Olympic Games}}
{{MedalBronze| 1908 London | 3500 metre walk}}
}}
Henry Edward Kerr (28 January 1879 – 17 May 1951) was a New Zealand athlete who competed mainly in walking events.{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/64719 |title=Harry Kerr |work=Olympedia |access-date=11 March 2021}} He competed for Australasia in the 1908 Summer Olympics held in London in the 3500 metre walk where he won the bronze medal. This was the first time a New Zealand-born person had won an Olympic medal.[https://olympic.org.nz/athletes/harry-kerr Harry Kerr] . New Zealand Olympic Committee.[https://web.archive.org/web/20200417171343/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ke/harry-kerr-2.html Harry Kerr]. sports-reference.com
Biography
Kerr was born in Taranaki and was a champion shooter and keen rugby player, as well as competing in a variety of track and field events. Competing for a time as a professional he was required to stand down from competition for two years in order to regain his amateur status. After winning numerous national titles Kerr virtually retired in 1912 and briefly served in World War I in mid-1918,{{cite web |url=https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/C112698 |title=Henry Edward Kerr |via=Online Cenotaph |publisher=Auckland War Memorial Museum |access-date=15 July 2022}} but returned to win two more national titles in 1925 at the age of 46.
Kerr was inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in 1996.
On 13 July 2008 to commemorate the first Olympic Games medal by a New Zealander (actually on 14 July 1908) the Harry Kerr Centennial Walking Relay was held at Sovereign Stadium, Mairangi Bay, Auckland. Two events were held, a 5×10 km relay and a 3500 m individual event.[https://web.archive.org/web/20110615002527/http://www.athletics.org.nz/Article.aspx?Mode=1&ID=3772 Harry Kerr Centennial Walking Relay and other news from the week]. Athletics New Zealand. 14 July 2008{{cite web |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10521094 |title=Take a walk back in time to our first medal |author=Maddaford, Terry |date=12 July 2008 |work=The New Zealand Herald |accessdate=2 October 2011}} A shield for the winning team was presented by Kerr's daughter-in-law.[http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/north-shore-times/527451 First Olympic medal celebrated]. North Shore Times. 10 July 2008[http://newspix.nzherald.co.nz/detail?productId=100708NZHBPBRONZE1.JPG Picture of Rose Sheat, Kerr's daughter-in-law, with Shield]. newspix.nzherald.co.nz. 12 July 2008 It was proposed that this become an annual event, but no subsequent events were held.
Kerr's great-grandson is New Zealand film director and rugby union player Winston Cowie.{{Cite news|date=2012-07-28|title=Life's his best game and he plays hard|language=en-NZ|work=Harald on Sunday|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10822860|access-date=2020-06-10|issn=1170-0777}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame}}
- {{New Zealand Olympic Committee|harry-kerr}}
- {{Olympics.com}}
- [http://www.sportsground.co.nz/clubsite.asp?siteid=8808&pageid=73664&pagetypeid=6 Harry Kerr Centennial Relay on Racewalking Auckland website]
{{1908 Australasian Olympic team}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kerr, Harry}}
Category:New Zealand male race walkers
Category:Olympic bronze medalists for Australasia
Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1908 Summer Olympics
Category:Olympic athletes for Australasia
Category:Deaths from cancer in New Zealand
Category:People from Inglewood, New Zealand
Category:Medalists at the 1908 Summer Olympics
Category:Olympic bronze medalists in athletics (track and field)