Issue 100 - Centenary July 1997

Putting on the glitz

S.A.Mackenzie won the Diamond Sculls six times in succession from 1957-62. Few have come near to this. Guy Nickalls won five times (1888-90 and 1893-94) and J. Lowndes five times consecutively (1879-83).

Stuart Alexander Mackenzie, universally known as Sam from his initials although he hated the name, was already larger than life when he burst onto Lake Wendouree at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne aged 19, to be overhauled by Vyascheslav Ivanov of the Soviet Union for the gold medal. A chicken-sexer by trade and grandson of the Australian batsman 'Slasher' Mackenzie, Sam was a good all-rounder at King's School Parramatta. He has big lungs and uncommonly long arms as well as the nous to use every morsel of showmanship and one-upmanship that he could harness to his engaging black sense of humour. He drew crowds all over Europe, entertained, infuriated, and needled opponents and establishmentarians.

At Henley 40 years ago he met the popular Russian again in the Diamonds final, bringing the crowd to its feet with a four-feet victory which had been a lead of two lengths at the Mile. Next year Ivanov broke the Barrier record before dropping several lengths behind at the Mile, with Sam doffing his cap to the Enclosures on the way in to an 'Easily' verdict.

In 1959 he dawdled in the final against a young Vesper sculler, Harry Parker, before killing him with a sudden spurt, and was booed for his trouble. In 1960 he defeated Teodor Kocerka, the Pole who had won in 1955-56. Ivanov won the Olympics again in Rome - Mackenzie was invalided out with an ulcer.

In 1961 O.Tjurin of Leningrad was the eventual loser by nearly three lengths, but there was no time for the antics that accompanied the earlier round defeat of the lightweight Ian Tutty of Haberfield, Australia. 1962 was controversial because he clashed with the Pole Eugene Kubiak while trailing in a heat. The umpire disqualified Kubiak, but no explanation was given, and some photographs lend credence to Kubiak's innocence. Bill Barry was the victim in the final.

In 1963 Mackenzie won the Goblets with Christopher Davidge.

© Copyright Christopher Dodd, 1997.