Durward Knowles

{{short description|Bahamian sailor}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}} {{Infobox sailor | honorific_prefix = [[Knight Bachelor|Sir]] | name = Durward Knowles | honorific_suffix = [[OBE]] | image = | image_size = | caption = | fullname = Durward Randolph Knowles | nicknames = | nationality = {{BAH}} | classes = [[Star (sailboat)|Star]] | club = | collegeteam = | birth_date = {{birth date|df=y|1917|11|2}} | birth_place = [[Nassau, Bahamas|Nassau]], [[Bahamas]] | death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|2018|2|24|1917|11|2}} | death_place = Nassau, Bahamas | height = | weight = | show-medals = yes | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | [[Sailing (sport)|Sailing]] }} {{MedalCountry | {{BAH}} }} {{MedalCompetition | [[Olympic Games]] }} {{MedalGold | [[1964 Summer Olympics|1964 Tokyo]] | [[Sailing at the 1964 Summer Olympics|Star class]] }} {{MedalBronze | [[1956 Summer Olympics|1956 Melbourne]] | [[Sailing at the 1956 Summer Olympics|Star class]] }} {{MedalCompetition | [[Star World Championships|World Championships]] }} {{MedalGold | [[1947 Star World Championships|1947 Los Angeles]] | Star class }} {{MedalSilver | [[1954 Star World Championships|1954 Cascais]] | Star class }} {{MedalBronze | [[1946 Star World Championships|1946 Havana]] | Star class }} {{MedalBronze | [[1974 Star World Championships|1974 Laredo]] | Star class }} }}

'''Sir Durward Randolph Knowles''' (2 November 1917 – 24 February 2018) was a sailor and Olympic champion from The [[Bahamas]]. He won the gold medal in the [[Star (sailboat)|Star class]] at the [[1964 Summer Olympics]] in Tokyo, together with [[Cecil Cooke]].<ref name=gbr-sailing>[http://www.gbrathletics.com/olympic/sailing.htm "Olympic Games Medallists – Sailing"] ''gbrathletics'' (Retrieved 1 June 2008)</ref><ref name=db-ol-YAT1964>{{cite web |url=http://www.databaseolympics.com/games/gamessport.htm?g=16&sp=YAT |title=1964 Summer Olympics – Tokyo, Japan – Sailing |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070221195824/http://www.databaseolympics.com/games/gamessport.htm?g=16&sp=YAT |archive-date=21 February 2007 |website=databaseOlympics.com |access-date=1 June 2008}}</ref> He won the bronze medal in the same class at the [[1956 Summer Olympics]] in Melbourne.<ref name=db-ol-YAT1956>{{cite web |url=http://www.databaseolympics.com/games/gamessport.htm?g=14&sp=YAT |title=1956 Summer Olympics – Melbourne, Australia – Sailing |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070827094646/http://www.databaseolympics.com/games/gamessport.htm?g=14&sp=YAT |archive-date=27 August 2007 |website=databaseOlympics.com |access-date=1 June 2008}}</ref> He had previously competed for the United Kingdom in the 1948 Olympics, finishing in [[Sailing at the 1948 Summer Olympics – Star|4th place in the Star class]] together with [[Sloane Elmo Farrington]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Colonial Office |year=1949 |title=Annual Report on the Bahamas for the Years 1947 & 1948 |url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uiug.30112106896084&seq=18 |access-date=2024-12-26 |website=HathiTrust |publisher=HM Stationery Office, London |page=6 |language=en}}</ref> Representing the Bahamas, Knowles also won gold in the [[1959 Pan American Games]] star class (with Farrington). He is one of only five athletes who have competed in the Olympics over a span of 40 years, along with fencer [[Ivan Joseph Martin Osiier]], sailor [[Magnus Konow]], showjumper [[Ian Millar]], and sailor [[Paul Elvstrøm]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=biWfNzQiR8EC&q=Ivan+Joseph+Martin+Osiier&pg=PA447|title=Guinness World Records 2012|isbn=9780345534378|last1=Glenday|first1=Craig|year=2012|publisher=Bantam Books }}</ref>

In 2014, the second [[Royal Bahamas Defence Force#Ships|''Legend''-class patrol boat of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force]] was commissioned as HMBS ''Durward Knowles''. In May 2016, following the death of [[Sándor Tarics]], he became the oldest living Olympic champion.<ref>[http://www.insidethegames.biz/index.php/articles/1037685/worlds-oldest-olympic-champion-dies-aged-102 World's oldest Olympic champion dies aged 102]</ref> He [[centenarian|turned 100]] in November 2017<ref>{{cite web |url=https://thenassauguardian.com/2017/11/02/sir-durward-turns-100/ |title=Sir Durward turns 100! – The Nassau Guardian |website=thenassauguardian.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171113061512/https://thenassauguardian.com/2017/11/02/sir-durward-turns-100/ |archive-date=2017-11-13}} </ref> and died on 24 February 2018.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://thenassauguardian.com/2018/02/24/breaking-sir-durward-knowles-dies/ |title=Breaking {{!}} Sir Durward Knowles dies – The Nassau Guardian |website=thenassauguardian.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180225021017/https://thenassauguardian.com/2018/02/24/breaking-sir-durward-knowles-dies/ |archive-date=2018-02-25}} </ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2018/02/25/eight-bells-sir-durward-knowles/ | title=Eight Bells: Sir Durward Knowles >> Scuttlebutt Sailing News | date=25 February 2018 }}</ref>

==Honours== Knowles was appointed [[Officer of the Order of the British Empire]] (OBE) in the [[1965 New Year Honours]] for public services in the Bahamas.<ref>United Kingdom list: {{London Gazette |issue=43529 |date=29 December 1964 |pages=25 |supp=y}}</ref>

Knowles was [[knighted]] in the [[1996 Birthday Honours]] "for services to the community and to sport, particularly sailing."<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=54429 |date=14 June 1996 |pages=1 }}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette|issue=54537|page=12875|date=27 September 1996}}</ref> In 1997, he was awarded [[Order of Merit (Bahamas)|The Bahamas' Order of Merit]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Johnson |first=Kelsie |title=Sir Durward Knowles gives Olympic medals to museum |url=http://freeport.nassauguardian.net/sports/323742198269787.php |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130221230559/http://freeport.nassauguardian.net/sports/323742198269787.php |url-status=usurped |archive-date=21 February 2013 |publisher=The Freeport News |access-date=14 June 2012 |date=20 April 2011 }}</ref>

==See also== * [[List of centenarians (sportspeople)]] * [[List of athletes with the most appearances at Olympic Games]]

==References== {{reflist|30em}}

==External links== *{{sports links}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Knowles, Durward}} [[Category:1917 births]] [[Category:2018 deaths]] [[Category:Bahamian men centenarians]] [[Category:Sailors (sport) from Nassau, Bahamas]] [[Category:Bahamian male sailors (sport)]] [[Category:Olympic sailors for Great Britain]] [[Category:Olympic sailors for the Bahamas]] [[Category:Sailors at the 1948 Summer Olympics – Star]] [[Category:Sailors at the 1952 Summer Olympics – Star]] [[Category:Sailors at the 1956 Summer Olympics – Star]] [[Category:Sailors at the 1960 Summer Olympics – Star]] [[Category:Sailors at the 1964 Summer Olympics – Star]] [[Category:Sailors at the 1968 Summer Olympics – Star]] [[Category:Sailors at the 1972 Summer Olympics – Star]] [[Category:Sailors at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Star]] [[Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire]] [[Category:Olympic gold medalists for the Bahamas]] [[Category:Olympic bronze medalists for the Bahamas]] [[Category:Olympic medalists in sailing]] [[Category:Star class world champions]] [[Category:Medalists at the 1956 Summer Olympics]] [[Category:Medalists at the 1964 Summer Olympics]] [[Category:Sailors at the 1959 Pan American Games]] [[Category:Pan American Games gold medalists for the Bahamas]] [[Category:Pan American Games gold medalists in sailing]] [[Category:World champions in sailing for the Bahamas]] [[Category:Deaths from kidney failure]] [[Category:Medalists at the 1959 Pan American Games]] [[Category:Sailors awarded knighthoods]] [[Category:Star class sailors]] [[Category:Star class Olympic sailors]]