Trevor Coker

Trevor Ian Coker (1 October 1949 – 23 August 1981) was a New Zealand rower who won two Olympic medals. He was born in Whanganui, New Zealand. Coker won the European Championship in 1971. Known then as the "New Zealand Eight", Coker and his team received Halberg Awards in 1971 and 1972 as New Zealand Sportsman of the Year (the rules were altered in 1971 to allow a team to receive this recognition).

Trevor Coker

Personal information
Full name	Trevor Ian Coker
Born	1 October 1949 Whanganui, New Zealand
Died	23 August 1981 (aged 31)
Height	192 cm (6 ft 4 in)[1]
Weight	87 kg (192 lb)[1]
Sport
Sport	Rowing
Club	Wanganui Rowing Club Avon[2]
Medal record Men's rowing Representing  New Zealand Olympic Games 1972 Munich Eight 1976 Montreal Eight World Rowing Championships 1974 Lucerne Eight 1975 Nottingham Eight European Rowing Championships 1971 Copenhagen Eight

Coker was born in Wanganui in 1949.[1] He initially rowed for the Wanganui Rowing Club.[3]

At the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, he teamed with Dick Joyce, Wybo Veldman, John Hunter, Lindsay Wilson, Joe Earl, Tony Hurt and Gary Robertson and Simon Dickie (cox) to win the gold medal in the eights.[1] At the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, he again crewed the eight, which this time won the Bronze medal. His crew mates this time were Alec McLean, Ivan Sutherland, Hurt, Peter Dignan, Wilson, Earl and Dave Rodger.[1]

Coker won the New Zealand national championships in the fours in 1974, 1975 and 1976, and with the eights in 1976. He won a bronze medal at the World Championships in 1974, and rowed with the coxed eight in the 1975 World Rowing Championships in Nottingham, Great Britain, winning a bronze medal.[4]

Coker died of a brain tumor in 1981. His teammates stayed close to his wife and son, assisting with financial support.[2] Trevor and the 1972 Gold medal team were inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in 1990.[2] In 1997, the 1972 team travelled back to the course at Munich to mark the 25th anniversary. Coker was the only member not present.

New Zealand secondary school rowing teams compete today for the Coker Memorial Shield.

References

1. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Trevor Coker". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
2. "Trevor Coker". New Zealand Olympic Committee. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
3. "Trevor Coker". Whanganui District Council. 23 August 2016. Archived from the original on 24 January 2019. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
4. "(M8+) Men's Eight - Final". International Rowing Federation. Retrieved 20 September 2016.

External links

• Trevor I. COKER at FISA WorldRowing.com