# Islay Lee > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Islay_Lee > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Islay_Lee.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islay_Lee > Source revision: 1307872771 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **Islay Lee** (born 4 October 1949) is an Australian former [rower](/source/Rowing_(sport)). He was a fifteen-time national champion in both sculls (four times) and sweep-oared boats (eleven times), a national representative at world championships and a dual Olympian. He competed at the [1976 Summer Olympics](/source/1976_Summer_Olympics) and the [1980 Summer Olympics](/source/1980_Summer_Olympics).[1] From 1976 to 1980 he was Australia's prominent sweep-oared stroke, setting the pace in [Sydney Rowing Club](/source/Sydney_Rowing_Club) crews which won five successive national titles in the coxed four, three successive titles in a coxed pair, and in three successive [King's Cup](/source/King's_Cup_(rowing)) winning New South Wales selection eights. ## Club and state rowing Lee was born and raised in [Lismore](/source/Lismore,_New_South_Wales) in northern New South Wales.[2] and attended [Sydney University](/source/Sydney_University). In Sydney he rowed first from the [Sydney University Boat Club](/source/Sydney_University_Boat_Club), then the [Glebe Rowing Club](/source/Glebe_Rowing_Club) and then had a long and successful association with the [Sydney Rowing Club](/source/Sydney_Rowing_Club). He contested the Australian Intervarsity Championships on three occasions representing the [SUBC](/source/Sydney_University_Boat_Club). He won the men's single scull in 1973[3] after having twice rowed to second place in that event in 1968 and 1971.[4] In 1968 at the [Australian Rowing Championships](/source/Australian_Rowing_Championships) he contested the national double sculls title in [SUBC](/source/Sydney_University_Boat_Club) colours, placing second.[5] At the 1970 Australian Rowing Championships he raced for Glebe and won a men's junior scull, a category at that time for rowers who had not yet won a senior race in that boat category.[6] In 1972 in Glebe colours he won the national double scull title rowing with [Haberfield's](/source/UTS_Haberfield_Rowing_Club) Dick Redell.[7] By 1976 he was rowing from [Sydney Rowing Club](/source/Sydney_Rowing_Club) and that year in a composite Haberfield/Sydney crew won the national quad sculls title.[8] By 1976 at [Sydney](/source/Sydney_Rowing_Club) he had also taken up sweep oared rowing. He stroked a Sydney coxed four to a national championship win in 1976,[8] and then successfully defended that same title in 1977[9] 1978, 1979[10] and 1980 each time in the stroke seat. In 1978 he also joined with [Stephen Handley](/source/Stephen_Handley) in a coxed pair, winning that national title.[11] Lee and Handley successfully defended that pairs title together in 1979 and 1980.[12] Lee first made state selection for New South Wales in 1971 picked as the single sculls entrant to contest the President's Cup at the Interstate Regatta. He finished third.[13] The following year he won that title[14] and then in 1973 he placed fourth. In 1976 he was selected to stroke the New South Wales men's eight to contest the [King's Cup](/source/King's_Cup_(rowing)) at the Interstate Regatta.[15] He held that seat from 1976 to 1978 and led New South Wales to three consecutive wins.[16] He was seated at six in the 1980 New South Wales eight which rowed to a second placing in the King's Cup.[17] ## International representative rowing Australia's men's eight for the [1976 Montreal Olympics](/source/1976_Summer_Olympics) was mostly that year's King's Cup winning New South Wales crew excepting [Malcolm Shaw](/source/Malcolm_Shaw_(rower)) in the two seat and [Brian Richardson](/source/Brian_Richardson_(rower)) at bow. Lee stroked the crew which commenced their Olympic campaign with a win in the heat in a new world record time and they progressed to the final.[18] However in the heat Shaw suffered a severe back injury (a collapsed vertebra) which put him out of the eight and replaced by [Peter Shakespear](/source/Peter_Shakespear), the reserve. In the final the Australians finished fifth.[19] Lee rowed on after the 1976 Olympics and in 1977 he was selected at stroke in the Australian eight to contest the [1977 World Rowing Championships](/source/1977_World_Rowing_Championships) in Amsterdam. Six of the crew including Lee were from the [Sydney Rowing Club](/source/Sydney_Rowing_Club) senior eight. They missed the A final and rowed to overall tenth place.[18] For the [1978 World Rowing Championships](/source/1978_World_Rowing_Championships) in Lake Karapiro, the successful New South Wales King's Cup eight was again selected with Lee at stroke and composed of all Sydney men excepting [Mosman's](/source/Mosman_Rowing_Club) [Gary Uebergang](/source/Gary_Uebergang) and [Athol MacDonald](/source/Athol_MacDonald).[18] The Australian eight placed second in their heat, third in the repechage and in the final finished fourth being edged out for third by the host nation New Zealand.[20] For the [1980 Moscow Olympics](/source/1980_Summer_Olympics) the new Australian Director of Coaching [Reinhold Batschi](/source/Reinhold_Batschi) utilised small boating racing criteria and selected an eight with rowers from three states. Lee and [Steve Handley](/source/Stephen_Handley) were selected at two and three. The Australian eight finished in fifth place in the Olympic final.[18] ## Teaching and coaching Post-competitive rowing Lee was a selector of Australian crews for the 1981 and 1982 [World Junior Championships](/source/World_Rowing_Junior_Championships) and of senior crews for the [1982 World Rowing Championships](/source/1982_World_Rowing_Championships).[21] He was a board member of Rowing Australia for a number of years and was President from 1994 to 1996.[22] Lee pursued a career as a teacher. He was a long-standing headmaster at [Rockhampton Grammar School](/source/Rockhampton_Grammar_School) retiring in 2009.[23] For a time he was the Head of Rowing at [Brisbane Boys College](/source/Brisbane_Boys_College). ## References 1. ["Islay Lee Olympic Results"](https://web.archive.org/web/20200418091436/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/le/islay-lee-1.html). Archived from [the original](https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/le/islay-lee-1.html) on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 25 August 2018. 1. [Northern Rivers sportsmen](https://www.northernstar.com.au/news/horseman-oarsmen-come-to-light-after-top-50-series/1496520/) 1. ["1973 Intervarsity Championships"](https://web.archive.org/web/20180908130500/http://www.rowinghistory-aus.info/university-championships/1973.php#M1x). Archived from [the original](http://www.rowinghistory-aus.info/university-championships/1973.php#M1x) on 8 September 2018. Retrieved 8 September 2018. 1. [1968 Intervarsity Championships](https://web.archive.org/web/20061011092413/http://www.rowinghistory-aus.info/university-championships/1968.php#M1x) 1. [1968 Australian Championships](http://www.rowinghistory-aus.info/national-championships/1968.html#m2x) 1. [1970 Australian Championships](http://www.rowinghistory-aus.info/national-championships/1970.html#m1x) 1. [1972 Australian Championships](http://www.rowinghistory-aus.info/national-championships/1972.html#m2x) 1. [1976 Australian Championships](http://www.rowinghistory-aus.info/national-championships/1976.html#m2x) 1. [1977 Australian Championships](http://www.rowinghistory-aus.info/national-championships/1977.html#m2x) 1. [1979 Australian Championships](http://www.rowinghistory-aus.info/national-championships/1979.html#mcoxed4) 1. [1978 Australian Championships](http://www.rowinghistory-aus.info/national-championships/1978.html#m2x) 1. [1980 Australian Championships](http://www.rowinghistory-aus.info/national-championships/1980.html#m2) 1. ["1971 Interstate Championships"](https://web.archive.org/web/20180908092925/http://www.rowinghistory-aus.info/interstate-championships/1971.php#M1x). Archived from [the original](http://www.rowinghistory-aus.info/interstate-championships/1971.php#M1x) on 8 September 2018. Retrieved 8 September 2018. 1. ["1972 Interstate Regatta"](https://web.archive.org/web/20180907144647/http://www.rowinghistory-aus.info/interstate-championships/1972.php#M1x). Archived from [the original](http://www.rowinghistory-aus.info/interstate-championships/1972.php#M1x) on 7 September 2018. Retrieved 8 September 2018. 1. ["1976 Interstate Regatta"](https://web.archive.org/web/20180716165606/http://www.rowinghistory-aus.info/interstate-championships/1976.php#M8). Archived from [the original](http://www.rowinghistory-aus.info/interstate-championships/1976.php#M8) on 16 July 2018. Retrieved 8 September 2018. 1. ["1978 Interstate Regatta"](https://web.archive.org/web/20180410071849/http://www.rowinghistory-aus.info/interstate-championships/1978.php#M8). Archived from [the original](http://www.rowinghistory-aus.info/interstate-championships/1978.php#M8) on 10 April 2018. Retrieved 8 September 2018. 1. ["1980 Interstate Regatta"](https://web.archive.org/web/20180706191240/http://www.rowinghistory-aus.info/interstate-championships/1980.php#M8). Archived from [the original](http://www.rowinghistory-aus.info/interstate-championships/1980.php#M8) on 6 July 2018. Retrieved 8 September 2018. 1. [Islay Lee at World Rowing](https://worldrowing.com/athlete/islay-lee?id=26259) 1. ["1976 Olympics"](https://web.archive.org/web/20180830145955/http://www.rowinghistory-aus.info/olympic-games/1976-Montreal.php). Archived from [the original](http://www.rowinghistory-aus.info/olympic-games/1976-Montreal.php) on 30 August 2018. Retrieved 9 September 2018. 1. ["1978 World Championships"](https://web.archive.org/web/20180910140539/http://www.rowinghistory-aus.info/world-championships/1978-LakeKarapiro.html). Archived from [the original](http://www.rowinghistory-aus.info/world-championships/1978-LakeKarapiro.html) on 10 September 2018. Retrieved 9 September 2018. 1. ["1981 Junior Championships"](https://web.archive.org/web/20170830232842/http://www.rowinghistory-aus.info/world-jr-championships/1981-Pantcharevo.php). Archived from [the original](http://www.rowinghistory-aus.info/world-jr-championships/1981-Pantcharevo.php) on 30 August 2017. Retrieved 9 September 2018. 1. [Rowing Australia officeholders](http://www.rowinghistory-aus.info/rowing-associations/rowing-australia/04-mens-council.html) 1. [rningbulletin.com.au/news/governor-opens-learning-centre/414782/ 2009 Headmaster retires] --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Islay Lee](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islay_Lee) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islay_Lee?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.