CYCLING BIO
Born 17 July 1906
Goulburn, NSW, Australia
Died 30 August 1996 (aged 90)
Kiama, NSW, Australia
Edgard “Dunc” Gray grew up near Goulburn, New South Wales, and learnt to ride at an early age, becoming Australia's first Olympic cycling champion and won 20 national titles on the track.
He won Australia's first ever Olympic Games cycling medal at the 1928 Amsterdam Olympic Games, bronze in the 1000m time trial.
At the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics began, Gray won Australia's first ever Olympic cycling gold medal, in the 1000m time trial, in a world record time of 1 min 13 seconds.
A week before he was due to ride he was admitted to hospital with influenza, but still reached the semi-final of the sprint and win gold in the kilo.
He was awarded the coveted Helms Award as the outstanding Australian athlete of 1932.
Gray also became Australia's first Empire Games (Commonwealth Games) cycling champion when he won the 1000m time trial at the 1934 British Empire Games.
At the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games, as the team's only previous gold medallist, he had the honour of carrying the Australian flag in the Opening Ceremony.
He was again the flag bearer at the 1938 Sydney Empire Games where he won gold in the 1000m sprint.
In his last years, Dunc devoted energy to supporting the Olympic movement, including Melbourne's bid for the 1996 Summer Olympics and then for Sydney's successful bid for the 2000 Summer Olympics.
The Dunc Gray Velodrome at Bass Hill, in Sydney's western suburbs, built for the 2000 Olympics, was named after this iconic Australian cyclist.
Major Achievements
- 3rd Olympic Games 1928, 1km time trial (Australia’s first cycling Olympic medal)
- 1st Olympic Games 1932, 1km time trial (Australia’s first cycling Olympic gold medal)
- 1st British Empire Games (Commonwealth Games) 1934, 1km time trial
- 1st British Empire Games (Commonwealth Games) 1938, 1km time trial
