Lorne Atkinson
{{Short description|Canadian cyclist (1921–2010)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2014}}
{{Infobox cyclist
| name = Lorne Atkinson
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| birth_date = {{birth date|1921|6|8|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| death_date = {{death date and age|2010|4|23|1921|6|8|df=yes}}
| death_place = Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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Lorne Atkinson (8 June 1921 – 23 April 2010) was a Canadian cyclist.{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/13453 |title=Lorne Atkinson |work=Olympedia |access-date=14 May 2022}} He competed in four events at the 1948 Summer Olympics.{{cite web |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/at/lorne-atkinson-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418060435/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/at/lorne-atkinson-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 April 2020 |title=Lorne Atkinson Olympic Results |accessdate=17 July 2014 |work=sports-reference.com}} Nicknamed "Ace",{{cite web|url=https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/vancouversun/obituary.aspx?n=lorne-ace-atkinson&pid=142357669 |title=Lorne Ace Atkinson |work=Legacy |access-date=14 May 2022}} Atkinson spent his life involved in cycling in the Vancouver area.{{cite web|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/lorne-atkinson-kept-cycling-alive-in-postwar-vancouver/article4353058/ |title=Lorne Atkinson kept cycling alive in postwar Vancouver |work=The Globe and Mail |access-date=14 May 2022}}
Biography
Atkinson was born in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1921. Atkinson's father was a Scottish professional cyclist, with Atkinson competing in races from when he was a teenager.{{cite web|url=https://www.placesthatmatter.ca/location/ace-cycles/ |title=Ace Cycles |work=Place That Matter |access-date=14 May 2022}} He soon earned the nickname "Ace" after winning a race and a newspaper printing a story with the headline of "City ace triumphs in Province Cup". He became a junior provincial champion in 1939, and would go on to win four senior provincial titles and two national titles. In 1946, Atkinson founded his business Ace's Cycles,{{cite web|url=https://kitsonbroadway.com/2016/11/18/ace-cycles/ |title=Ace Cycles: Owners: Jan Atkinson, George Inglis & Shay Inglis, Year Established: 1946 |work=Kits on Broadway |access-date=14 May 2022}} which he ran for more than 60 years.
At the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, Atkinson competed in four events, two on the road and two on the track.{{cite web|url=https://olympic.ca/team-canada/lorne-atkinson/ |title=Lorne Atkinson |work=Canadian Olympic Committee |access-date=14 May 2022}} On the road, Atkinson rode in both the individual road race and the team road race, but did not finish in either event.{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/results/153626 |title=Road Race, Individual, Men |work=Olympedia |access-date=14 May 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/results/153627 |title=Road Race, Team, Men |work=Olympedia |access-date=14 May 2022}} On the track, he was eliminated in the first round of the team pursuit event,{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/results/153605 |title=Team Pursuit, 4,000 metres, Men |work=Olympedia |access-date=14 May 2022}} and finished in 15th place in the track time trial.{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/results/153543 |title=1,000 metres Time Trial, Men |work=Olympedia |access-date=14 May 2022}}
Following the Olympics, Atkinson competed at the 1950 British Empire Games in Auckland, and the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in his hometown. He was also the captain of the Canadian team that finished in fourth place in the 10-mile scratch event at the 1954 Games. He was in charge of organising cycling events in Vancouver during the 1950s and 1960s,{{cite web|url=https://bcsportshall.com/honoured_member/lorne-ace-atkinson/ |title=Lorne 'Ace' Atkinson |work=British Columbia Sports Hall of Fame and Museum |access-date=14 May 2022}} becoming the president of the Vancouver Bicycle Club in 1962.{{cite web|url=https://heroinyou.ca/subunit/the-suit-still-fits/ |title=The Suit Still Fits |work=Hero in You |access-date=14 May 2022}} Five years later, he coached the Canadian team at the 1967 Pan American Games in Winnipeg.
Atkinson was inducted into the BC Sports Hall of Fame in 1997, was awarded with the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002,{{cite web|url=https://www.bcachievement.com/awardee/lorne-atkinson/ |title=Lorne Atkinson |work=BC Achievement Foundation |access-date=14 May 2022}} and won the British Columbia Community Achievement Award in 2006. Just prior to his death, he was presented with the Olympic torch as part of the relay for the 2010 Winter Olympics. He died in April 2010 at the age of 88.{{cite web|url=https://www.randonneurs.bc.ca/newsletter/submissions_2010/038_cycling-legend-lorne-atkinson-dies.html |title=BC Cycling Legend Lorne "Ace" Atkinson Dies at 88 |work=BC Randonneurs Cycling Club |access-date=14 May 2022}}
References
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External links
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Category:Canadian male cyclists
Category:Commonwealth Games competitors for Canada
Category:Cyclists at the 1950 British Empire Games
Category:Cyclists at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games
Category:Olympic cyclists for Canada
Category:Cyclists at the 1948 Summer Olympics