Dunc Gray

1932: Olympic Champion - 1000 m time trial

Lawrence Edgar " Dunc " Gray ( born July 17, 1906 in Goulburn, † August 30 1996 in Kiama ) was an Australian cyclist and the first Australian to win an Olympic gold medal in cycling.

Gray took part in the Olympic Games in 1928. In Antwerp he started for the first time in a 1km time trial and won with a time of 1:15,06 min the bronze medal. Gray was the only cyclist, the 1932 Australia sent to the Olympics to Los Angeles, where he was reported for both the 1000m time trial as well as for the railway Sprint. Although Gray was still a week before his race due to influenza in the hospital, he managed to qualify for the semi-finals in the sprint. Gray did not appear to be the race for the bronze medal, because he was afraid to be too weak for two races in one evening due to the disease, so that the Italian Bruno Pellizzari only had to drive around the track to win the bronze medal. Grays decision to conserve his strength for the 1000 - m time trial, paid off, with the new world record time of 1:13,0 min. Gray also participated in the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin in part, in which he was allowed to wear the Australian flag during the invasion, since he was the only Olympic champion among the Australian participants. Sporty games for him were not successful; He retired from Sprint in the railway in the quarterfinals.

The velodrome of Sydney, at the Olympic competitions were held in 2000, is called Dunc Gray Velodrome in his honor. The bike with which he won the gold medal in 1932, is exhibited there.