Dick Garrard

Who was Dick Garrard?

Richard "Dick" Edward Garrard, OBE was an Australian Olympic wrestler.

Garrard was born on 21 January 1911 in Geelong, Victoria. In a thirty-year career, from 1926 to 1956, Garrard lost only nine of 525 bouts, making him Australia's most successful sport wrestler ever. Between 1930 and 1956, he won every Victorian wrestling title and ten national titles in the lightweight and light welterweight divisions.

In 1934, he competed in the first of what was to be four consecutive Commonwealth Games – an achievement amplified by the twelve-year gap between games from 1938 and 1950, due to World War II. Garrard won the gold medal at the 1934, 1938 and 1950 games, and a bronze at the 1954 games. He also competed in three Olympic Games: 1936 in Berlin, 1948 in London, and 1952 in Helsinki. He was not selected for the 1956 Olympics and retired shortly after, he continued to officiate in five Olympic Games, and was manager of the Australian wrestling team at the 1972 Munich Olympics.