Keith Trask
{{Short description|New Zealand rower}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2016}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=October 2016}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name = Keith Trask
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_name = Keith Charles Trask
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1960|11|27|df=y}}
| birth_place = Hastings, New Zealand
| death_date =
| death_place =
| residence = Auckland
| education =
| alma_mater =
| occupation = carpenter
| years_active =
| spouse =
| height = {{convert|190|cm|ftin|abbr=on}}
| weight = {{convert|95|kg|lb|abbr=on}}
| sport = Rowing
| club = North Shore Rowing Club
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalSport | Men's rowing }}
{{MedalCountry | {{NZL}} }}
{{MedalCompetition | Olympic Games }}
{{MedalGold | 1984 Los Angeles | Coxless four }}
{{MedalCompetition | World Championships }}
{{MedalGold | 1983 Duisburg | Coxed four }}
}}
Keith Charles Trask (born 27 November 1960) is a former New Zealand rower who won an Olympic gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
Early life
Trask was born in 1960 in Hastings, New Zealand.{{cite Sports-Reference |title = Keith Trask |url = https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/tr/keith-trask-1.html |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200418044128/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/tr/keith-trask-1.html |url-status = dead |archive-date = 18 April 2020 |access-date = 27 October 2016}} Trask has a twin brother Paul. Their parents are Charles (died 2015) and Maureen Trask. They received their education in Hastings; first at Mayfair School and then at Hastings Intermediate.{{cite news |last1=Singh |first1=Anendra |title=A hard row for golden moment |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503460&objectid=11684123 |access-date=26 October 2016 |work=Hawke's Bay Today |date=30 July 2016}}
Rowing career
Trask was selected to compete at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow with the coxed four but did not compete due to the Olympics boycott.{{cite web | title=Keith Trask | url= https://olympic.org.nz/athletes/keith-trask | publisher = New Zealand Olympic Committee | access-date=27 October 2016}} He believes that he missed out being selected for the New Zealand eight in 1982 despite being "good enough to be there"; the team went on to win gold at the 1982 World Rowing Championships at Rotsee in Switzerland without him. In 1983, he moved from the Hawke's Bay to Auckland so that he could join the North Shore Rowing Club to increase his chances to get picked for a national team.
In 1983 the crew of Conrad Robertson, Greg Johnston, Keith Trask, Les O'Connell, and Brett Hollister (cox) won the coxed four in Duisburg at the World Championships.{{cite web |title=(M4+) Men's Coxed Four - Final | url= http://www.worldrowing.com/events/1983-world-championships/mens-coxed-four/final/ |publisher=International Rowing Federation |access-date=27 October 2016}} Along with Les O'Connell, Shane O'Brien and Conrad Robertson he won gold in the coxless four at the 1984 Olympics at Lake Casitas in California.{{cite web |title=(M4-) Men's Four - Final | url= http://www.worldrowing.com/events/1984-olympic-games/mens-four/final/ |publisher=International Rowing Federation |access-date=27 October 2016}} In 1986, Trask teamed with Eric Verdonk for the pairs and became New Zealand national champion.
He later was a rowing coach for the North Shore Rowing Club, and currently coaches at Westlake Boys High School.
Family and later activities
Trask is married to Serena, and they have three children (one son and two daughters) born between 1984 and 1987. They live in Auckland, where Trask works as a carpenter. He became self employed in 1999 when he founded his company, Keith Trask Limited.{{cite web |title=Keith Trask Limited |url=http://companysearch.nz/KEITH-TRASK-LIMITED |publisher=NZ companies lists |access-date=27 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170510070336/http://companysearch.nz/KEITH-TRASK-LIMITED |archive-date=10 May 2017 |url-status=dead }} In 2009, he competed in ocean swimming.{{cite news |last1=Collins |first1=Michael |title=Trask heads into the water |url= http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/sport/3067410/Trask-heads-into-the-water |access-date=27 October 2016 |work=Stuff.co.nz |date=17 November 2009}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{World Rowing|28455}} ([https://web.archive.org/web/20160306123253/http://www.worldrowing.com/athletes/athlete/28455/ archive])
- {{Olympics.com|keith-trask}}
- {{NZOC profile|keith-trask}}
- {{Olympedia|39259}}
- [http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/41272/new-zealand-coxless-four-1984 Team photo] of the 1984 coxless four
{{Olympic champions – Men's coxless four}}
{{World champions – Men's coxed four}}
{{1984 New Zealand Olympic team}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Trask, Keith}}
Category:People educated at Karamu High School
Category:New Zealand male rowers
Category:Olympic gold medalists for New Zealand in rowing
Category:Medalists at the 1984 Summer Olympics
Category:Rowers at the 1984 Summer Olympics
Category:World Rowing Championships medalists for New Zealand