Harry Mahon

Background

Mahon was born in Wanganui in 1942.

Education

Victoria University of Wellington.

Career

He coached international crews from New Zealand, Switzerland, South Africa and Great Britain to success at World Championships and Olympic Games. He also coached Cambridge University to repeated successes in the Boat Race. He also played cricket and rugby as a hooker, and toyed with becoming a rugby coach after studying geography at Victoria University.

He rowed with some success in New Zealand, but was not an international oarsman.

After graduating, he began teaching at Melville High School, and joined Waikato Rowing Club. Success there led to him coaching the New Zealand national team eight to two world titles in 1982 and 1983.

The failure of the eight to repeat that success in the 1984 Olympics led to Mahon being gradually excluded from the New Zealand coaching setup, and moving to Switzerland. He was a teacher of geography at Ridley College, Canada and Radley College near Oxford, England.

He was diagnosed with colon cancer in 1997 and, despite being given only months to live, continued to coach with some success for four more years, also running the London marathon twice during that period.

After his death in 2001 the Harry Mahon Cancer Research Trust was established to raise money for research equipment. Mahon taught a relaxed style, favouring technique over aggression in his crews. Though reserved off the water, he talked almost constantly to his crews in training, asking them to concentrate on their own feel for the rhythm of the boat.

In the 1984 New Year, Mahon was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, for services to rowing.

Achievements

• In the 1984 New Year, Mahon was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, for services to rowing. The 1982 world champion rowing eight from New Zealand, coached by Mahon, were inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in 1995. Mahon was named the New Zealander of the Year in Britain in 2001. 1977 New Zealand 4- Silver Medal World Championships 1982-1983 New Zealand 8+ Gold Medal World Championships 1982 New Zealand W1x Bronze Medal World Championships 1986 New Zealand 4+ Silver medal World Championships 1988 Olympics - Swiss 2X Silver Medal, New Zealand W2- Bronze Medal 1997 Great Britain 1X Bronze Medal World Championships 2000 Olympics Great Britain 8+ Gold Medal, New Zealand 1X Gold Medal 1993-1999 & 2001 Boat Races (Cambridge).

Connections

Partner:

Sarah Warburton