Murray Watkinson

{{short description|New Zealand rower}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name = Murray Watkinson

| image = Murray Watkinson 1964.jpg

| image_size = 230px

| caption = Watkinson in 1964

| birth_date = 11 June 1939

| birth_place = Auckland, New Zealand

| death_date = {{death date and age|2004|1|19|1939|6|11|df=y}}

| death_place =

| height = 1.84 m

| weight = 84 kg

| sport = Rowing

| club = West End Rowing Club

| alma_mater =

| headercolor = lightsteelblue

| show-medals = yes

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry | {{NZL}} }}

{{MedalCompetition | World Rowing Championships }}

{{MedalBronze | 1970 St. Catharines | Eight }}

{{MedalCompetition | European Rowing Championships }}

{{MedalBronze | 1971 Copenhagen | Single sculls }}

{{MedalCompetition | British Empire and Commonwealth Games }}

{{MedalSilver | 1962 Perth | Double sculls }}

}}

Murray Paul Watkinson (11 June 1939 – 19 January 2004) was a New Zealand rower. He competed at the 1964 and 1972 Summer Olympics in the single sculls and placed fifth and tenth, respectively. He won a European bronze medal in this event in 1971.{{cite web |last1=Heckert |first1=Karlheinz |title=Rudern – Europameisterschaften (Herren – Einer) |url= http://www.sport-komplett.de/sport-komplett/sportarten/r/rudern/hst/63.html |publisher=Sport Komplett |access-date=4 February 2018| language=de}}

Watkinson was born in 1939.{{cite web |title= Murray Watkinson |url= http://www.worldrowing.com/athletes/athlete/420/results/ |publisher=International Rowing Federation |access-date=4 February 2018}} He started training at the West End Rowing Club in 1953 when he was 13 years old.{{cite news |last1=Falconer |first1=Phoebe |title=Obituary: Murray Watkinson |url= http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=3545240 |access-date=4 February 2018 |work=The New Zealand Herald |date=23 January 2004}} He won his first major title, a silver medal in the double sculls, at the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, partnering with his brother Peter. At the 1964 European Rowing Championships in Amsterdam, he came fourth in the single sculls.{{cite news |title=Bergau/Gorny Europameister im Zweier m. St. in Amsterdam |url= http://zefys.staatsbibliothek-berlin.de/ddr-presse/ergebnisanzeige/?purl=SNP2532889X-19640810-0-3-34-0&highlight=Amsterdamer%7CAmsterdam%7CRuder%7C1964 |access-date=20 January 2018 |work=Neues Deutschland |volume=19 |issue=219 |date=10 August 1964 |page=3 | language=de |url-access=registration }} Two months later at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, he came fifth.{{cite Sports-Reference |title = Murray Watkinson |url = https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/wa/murray-watkinson-1.html |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200418055641/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/wa/murray-watkinson-1.html |url-status = dead |archive-date = 18 April 2020 |access-date = 4 February 2018}} Watkinson competed as one of the favourites in single sculls at the 1967 European Rowing Championships in Vichy, France,{{cite news | title= Ruder-EM in Vichy eröffnet |url= http://zefys.staatsbibliothek-berlin.de/ddr-presse/ergebnisanzeige/?purl=SNP26120215-19670908-0-11-320-0 |access-date=3 February 2018 |work=Berliner Zeitung |volume=23 |issue=247 |date=8 September 1967 |page=11 | language=de |url-access=registration }} but did not reach the final.{{cite news |title=Rudertriumph der DDR |url= http://zefys.staatsbibliothek-berlin.de/ddr-presse/ergebnisanzeige/?purl=SNP2532889X-19670911-0-5-82-0 |access-date=7 February 2018 |work=Neues Deutschland |volume=22 |issue=250 |date=11 September 1967 |page=5 | language=de |url-access=registration }}

Watkinson's health declined during his later years. He was one of the few New Zealanders to have received a heart-liver transplant. He died in 2004.