Les O'Connell
{{short description|New Zealand rower}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2016}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=October 2016}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name = Les O'Connell
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1958|5|23|df=y}}
| birth_place = Timaru, New Zealand
| death_date =
| death_place =
| residence =
| education =
| alma_mater =
| occupation =
| years_active =
| spouse =
| height = {{convert|193|cm|ftin|abbr=on}}
| weight = {{convert|89|kg|lb|abbr=on}}
| sport = Rowing
| club = Avon Rowing Club
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalCountry| {{NZL}}}}
{{MedalSport | Men's rowing}}
{{MedalCompetition | Olympic Games }}
{{MedalGold| 1984 Los Angeles | Coxless four}}
{{MedalCompetition | World Rowing Championships }}
{{MedalGold| 1982 Rotsee | Eight}}
{{MedalGold | 1983 Duisburg | Coxed four}}
}}
Leslie James O'Connell (born 23 May 1958) is a New Zealand former representative rower. He was a two-time world champion and an Olympic champion who won his Olympic gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in the men's coxless four.
Early life
O'Connell was born in 1958 in Timaru, New Zealand. He grew up in the town and started a carpentry apprenticeship in 1974.{{cite web |title=Company Profile |url=http://www.locconstruction.co.nz/profile |publisher=LOC Construction |access-date=29 October 2016}}{{cite news |last1=Piddington |first1=Stu |title=Rower O'Connell tops poll |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/sport/8471038/Rower-O-Connell-tops-poll |access-date=29 October 2016 |work=The Timaru Herald |date=26 March 2013}} Since 1990, he has lived in Christchurch.
Rowing career
O'Connell learned to row on Saltwater Creek in Timaru, and in Timaru Harbour.{{cite news |last1=Piddington |first1=Stu |title=Some glaring omissions in district Hall of Fame |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/sport/8458219/Some-glaring-omissions-in-district-Hall-of-Fame |access-date=29 October 2016 |work=The Timaru Herald |date=22 March 2013}} In 1978, he was New Zealand champion with Chris Booker in the double sculls for the Timaru Rowing Club. He moved to Christchurch in 1990 so that he could train with the Avon Rowing Club, at the time one of the three main rowing clubs in the country.
At the 1982 World Rowing Championships at Rotsee, Switzerland, he won a gold medal with the New Zealand eight seated in the bow.{{cite web |url=http://www.worldrowing.com/events/1982-world-championships/mens-eight/final/ |title=(M8+) Men's Eight - Final |access-date=5 October 2015 |publisher=International Rowing Federation |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151008165646/http://www.worldrowing.com/events/1982-world-championships/mens-eight/final/ |archive-date=8 October 2015 |df=dmy-all }} At the end of that year, the 1982 rowing eight crew was named sportsman of the year.{{cite web |title=1980's [sic] |url=http://www.halbergawards.co.nz/about-the-awards/archive/1980s |publisher=Halberg Awards |access-date=5 October 2015 }}{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} O'Connell then changed to a coxed four and at the 1983 World Rowing Championships in Duisburg, Germany, he won gold with Conrad Robertson, Greg Johnston, Keith Trask, and Brett Hollister as cox.{{cite web |url=http://www.worldrowing.com/events/1983-world-championships/mens-coxed-four/final/ |title=(M4+) Men's Coxed Four - Final |access-date=29 October 2016 |publisher=International Rowing Federation}} He qualified for the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and was put in a coxless four (the coxed four is not included as an Olympic event), and teamed with Shane O'Brien, Conrad Robertson, and Keith Trask. Helped by the absence of the Eastern Bloc countries including the favourites from the Soviet Union and East Germany, the New Zealand coxless four won an unexpected gold medal.{{Cite sports-reference |title = Rowing at the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Games: Men's Coxless Fours |url = https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1984/ROW/mens-coxless-fours.html |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200417210251/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1984/ROW/mens-coxless-fours.html |url-status = dead |archive-date = 17 April 2020 |access-date = 29 October 2016}} At the 1985 World Rowing Championships at Hazewinkel in Belgium, he came fourth with the coxless four.{{cite web |url=http://www.worldrowing.com/events/1985-world-championships/mens-four/final/ |title=(M4+) Men's Four - Final |access-date=29 October 2016 |publisher=International Rowing Federation}}
O'Connell won further national championships in 1984 (coxless pair) and 1986 (coxless four).{{cite web |title=Les O'Connell |url=http://olympic.org.nz/athletes/les-oconnell/ |publisher=New Zealand Olympic Committee |access-date=28 October 2016}}
The 1982 men's eight team was inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in 1995.{{cite web |title=Eight, 1982 |url=http://www.nzhalloffame.co.nz/Inductees/E/Eight-1982.aspx |publisher=New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame |access-date=5 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150113183306/http://www.nzhalloffame.co.nz/Inductees/E/Eight-1982.aspx |archive-date=13 January 2015}} In 2013, The Timaru Herald had a campaign to have missing sports personalities added to Timaru's Hall of Fame, and O'Connell received the most votes from readers of the newspaper. As of October 2016, O'Connell has not been added to their Hall of Fame.{{cite web|title=Hall of Fame|url=https://www.timaru.govt.nz/community/our-district/hall-of-fame|publisher=Timaru District Council|access-date=28 October 2016}}
Professional career
O'Connell registered a construction company in November 1990{{cite web |title=LES O'CONNELL BUILDERS LIMITED |url=http://www.coys.co.nz/company/?no=488332-LES+O%27CONNELL+BUILDERS+LIMITED |publisher=Coys |access-date=28 October 2016}} and started operating in 1992.
References
{{Reflist}}
{{S-start}}
{{s-ach|aw}}
{{s-bef | before = Allison Roe}}
{{s-ttl | title = New Zealand Sportsman of the Year | years = 1982 | with = Tony Brook, George Keys, Dave Rodger, Mike Stanley, Andrew Stevenson, Chris White, Roger White-Parsons, Andy Hay}}
{{s-aft | after = Chris Lewis}}
{{s-end}}
{{Olympic champions – Men's coxless four}}
{{World champions – Men's coxed four}}
{{World champions – Men's eight}}
{{1984 New Zealand Olympic team}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oconnell, Les}}
Category:New Zealand male rowers
Category:Olympic gold medalists for New Zealand in rowing
Category:Rowers at the 1984 Summer Olympics
Category:Sportspeople from Timaru
Category:Rowers from the Canterbury Region
Category:World Rowing Championships medalists for New Zealand
Category:Medalists at the 1984 Summer Olympics