David Lean (athlete)

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David Lean
Personal information
NationalityAustralian
Born22 August 1935
Launceston, Tasmania, Australia
Height182 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Weight65 kg (143 lb)
Sport
Sport Athletics
Eventhurdles
Medal record
Representing Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
Olympic Games
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 1956 Melbourne 4x400 metre relay
British Empire and Commonwealth Games
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 1954 Vancouver 440 yard hurdles
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 1958 Cardiff 440 yard hurdles
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 1954 Vancouver 4 × 110 yards relay

David Francis Lean (born 22 August 1935 is an Australian former athlete who competed mainly in the 440-yard hurdles and competed at the 1956 Summer Olympics.

Biography

Lean attended Launceston Grammar School, where he mainly raced over 100 yards [1] and later attended Michigan State University where he also competed in 440 and 880 yard races. [2]

Lean won the Australian national championship in 1954 [3] and regularly competed in the 440 yard hurdles, winning gold at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games. [4] His gold medal at the 1954 Vancouver Games was only his eighth race over the distance and the first ever international victory by a Tasmanian athlete. [1]

In 1956, he represented Australia at the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, participating in the 4 × 400 metre relay, where he won the silver medal with his teammates Graham Gipson, Leon Gregory and Kevan Gosper. [5]

Lean won the British AAA Championships title in the 440 yards hurdles event at the 1958 AAA Championships [6] [7] [8] and shortly afterwards he won a silver medal at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games. [4]

References

  1. 1 2 Welch, Bruce (5 Aug 1954) David Lean, Barbaris win gold medals; History made by Tas Athlete; The Age
  2. ↑ Welch, Bruce (17 September 1958) Hurdle Star Returns Soon; The Age
  3. ↑ David Lean results
  4. 1 2 "Biographical Information". Olympedia. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
  5. ↑ "List of Australian Olympic athletics medal winners". Archived from the original on 2 October 2009. Retrieved 16 February 2010.
  6. ↑ "Ibbotson quits... Pirie flops" . Sunday Sun (Newcastle). 13 July 1958. Retrieved 2 May 2025– via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. ↑ "AAA, WAAA and National Championships Medallists". National Union of Track Statisticians. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
  8. ↑ "AAA Championships (men)". GBR Athletics. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
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