Background
Better known to his friends as Wally, Kinnear was born in Marykirk, where he became a draper"s assistant.
Better known to his friends as Wally, Kinnear was born in Marykirk, where he became a draper"s assistant.
He left home in 1902 for a career with the chain store Debenhams in London. Work colleagues introduced him to sculling and he became hooked. He repeated this success in 1904 and 1905.
He captured the Olympic title comfortably and later the same year secured his third successive Wingfield Sculls.
He lost the Wingfield Sculls in 1913 to Jock Wise. During World War I Kinnear served with the Royal Naval Air Service and then became a rowing coach.
Later he moved to Desford, Leicestershire, where he worked as a security officer He died of heart failure at Leicester General Hospital on 5 March 1974.
Kinnear was Godfather to writer Eric Newby, as mentioned in Newby"s 1962 book "Something Wholesale".
On 12 of March 2007 he was inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame on 12 of March 2007.