1. Eric Franciscus Maria Verdonk was a New Zealand rower who won bronze medals in the single sculls events at the 1988 Summer Olympics, 1986 Commonwealth Games, and 1990 World Rowing Championships.
15 Facts About Eric Verdonk
1. 2.
Eric Verdonk was a member of the North Shore Rowing Club, joining the club in 1973.
3.
At the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, Eric Verdonk won a bronze medal in the single sculls; the race was won by Steve Redgrave.
4.
Eric Verdonk came fourth in the double sculls event at the Games.
5.
At the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, Eric Verdonk competed in the single sculls.
6.
Eric Verdonk won his heat, came third in his semi-final, and finished third in the final behind Thomas Lange and Peter-Michael Kolbe.
7.
At the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Eric Verdonk finished fourth, and at one point in the race was 0.62 seconds behind Pole Kajetan Broniewski, who finished third.
8.
Eric Verdonk was sixth in the single sculls at the 1987 World Rowing Championships in Copenhagen, and was fifth in the single sculls at the 1991 World Rowing Championships in Vienna.
9.
In 1994, Eric Verdonk won the double sculls event at the Commonwealth Championships in Ontario, Canada, and finished second in the quad scull event.
10.
Eric Verdonk won the Diamond Challenge Sculls at the Henley Royal Regatta, becoming the first New Zealander to win the event.
11.
Eric Verdonk won seven consecutive New Zealand single skulls national championships between 1987 and 1993.
12.
Eric Verdonk won six New Zealand double skulls national championships, with four different partners.
13.
Eric Verdonk was born in Taihape, New Zealand, to Dutch parents, and his native language was Dutch.
14.
Eric Verdonk was married and had a son and a daughter.
15.
Eric Verdonk died of cancer on 3 April 2020 in Auckland, at the age of 60.