30 Facts About Ned Hanlan

Edward "Ned" Hanlan was a Canadian professional sculler, hotelier, and alderman from Toronto, Ontario.

Ned Hanlan was the world sculling champion from 1880 to 1884.

Ned Hanlan was born to Irish parents; one of two sons and two daughters.

Ned Hanlan's mother was Mary Gibbs, his father, John, was first a fisherman and later a hotel keeper on the Toronto Islands.

Young Ned Hanlan used to row several kilometres across the harbour to go to and from George Street public school, Toronto every day.

Ned Hanlan developed speed and strength by rowing his boat with freshly-caught fish to sell at market before other fishermen arrived to compete.

Ned Hanlan was the world sculling champion for five consecutive years from 1880 to 1884.

Ned Hanlan was so in command that in a good humoured way he made great sport of his opponent:.

Ned Hanlan rowed a boat built by George Warin of Toronto.

News of Ned Hanlan's success, spread by telegraph and newspaper, touched off a rare moment of communion among English-speaking Canadians.

Ned Hanlan was an active champion, accepting frequent challenges and racing often against the larger fields of non-title regattas.

Two years later Ned Hanlan beat him again in Washington, DC, winning $6,000.

Ned Hanlan won and made a record time in the process by taking fifty seconds off the previous best time for the four mile course.

In 1884 Ned Hanlan again beat Laycock, this time on the Nepean River, in New South Wales.

Strangely enough, of the twelve Championship races that Ned Hanlan rowed none of them was raced in Canada.

Ned Hanlan took full advantage of the sliding seat, not only to obtain greater reach but to drive with the large muscles of the legs in a coordinated, fluid motion so that the power of his whole body was marshalled into every stroke.

Ned Hanlan competed with icy calm and, although the term had yet to be coined, was a master at "psyching out" opponents with timely taunts.

Ned Hanlan had no qualms about humiliating those he disliked.

On one occasion Ned Hanlan crossed the line so far in front that he leisurely rowed back to his opponent and then beat him to the finish line a second time.

Ned Hanlan held his world title until 16 August 1884, when he was defeated by Australian Bill Beach on the Parramatta River near Sydney.

Ned Hanlan's friends put the blame for the loss on a second bout with typhoid, the debilitating effects of almost eight months of foreign travel, and a near collision during the race with a chartered steamer, but the muscular blacksmith was an exceptional opponent.

Ned Hanlan stayed another seven months for a rematch but Beach beat him then, and again in 1887.

Ned Hanlan was involved in twelve championship races with seven wins and five losses.

For further details of the World Title races that Ned Hanlan was involved in see World Sculling Championship.

Ned Hanlan married on 19 December 1877 Margaret Gordon Sutherland of Pictou, Nova Scotia; they had two sons and six daughters.

Ned Hanlan was the first head coach of the University of Toronto Rowing Club in 1897.

Ned Hanlan's visit to Australia in 1884 coincided with the opening of the new subdivision.

In 1926, a larger-than-life bronze statue of a mustachioed, muscular, shirtless Ned Hanlan, shown clad in his rowing trunks, was unveiled on the grounds of the Canadian National Exhibition.

Ned Hanlan was inducted into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 2002.

At least twice Ned Hanlan became the joint holder of the Double Sculls World Championship title.