Warren Cole's Funeral
Rowing NZ acknowledge the sad passing of former Olympic Champion Warren Cole, who passed away on 17 July 2019, aged 78.
Warren's funeral will be held Thursday 25 July at Waikato Rowing Club, Grantham Street, Hamilton at 1pm.
After achieving a collection of national title for both Whakatane and Waikato Rowing Clubs, Warren competed at two Olympics, taking Gold in the men’s four in Mexico 1968 alongside Dick Joyce, Dudley Storey, Ross Collinge and coxswain Simon Dickie. The crew won their heat and semi-final, and won the final race by nearly 3 seconds ahead of East Germany and Switzerland. The final was the last time the crew ever raced together. Cole again competed in the men’s four in Munich 1972, placing sixth with crewmates John Clark, Peter Lindsay, Dave Lindstrom and Chris Nilsson.
After retiring from competition, Warren was manager of the New Zealand rowing team at the 1977 World Rowing Championships in Amsterdam, and again in the 1978 regatta at Lake Karapiro.
Warren was New Zealand Olympian #221 and was awarded New Zealand Rowing Foundation Legacy Medal #101 in February, 2018. Warren was also inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in 1990, alongside his Mexico 1968 crew.
Rowing NZ were proud to be a part of the 1968 crew’s celebrations of their 50th anniversary of their gold medal, hosting the crew at Lake Karapiro on 19 October, 2018.
Rowing NZ extend their condolences to the Cole family and his many friends.