According to Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame on Tuesday, Canadian Olympic gold medallist Archie MacKinnon of Cranbrook, British Columbia passed away on August 28 at the age of 89. MacKinnon won a gold medal in the men’s coxless fours rowing competition at the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne. He also won a silver medal in the men’s eights rowing at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome.
In the men’s coxless fours at the 1956 Olympic Games, MacKinnon teamed up with Lorne Loomer of Victoria, British Columbia, Donald Arnold of Kelowna, British Columbia and Walter D’Hondt. Canada had a gold medal winning time of 7:08.8. The United States won the silver medal with a time of 7:18.4. France won the bronze medal with a time of 7:20.9. Canada reached the podium by 13.7 seconds over Italy, which finished in fourth place with a time of 7:22.5.
In the men’s eights at the 1960 Olympic Games, MacKinnon teamed up with Arnold, D’Hondt, David Anderson of Victoria, Nelson Kuhn of Whitemouth, Manitoba, John Lecky of Vancouver, British Columbia, Bill McKerlich of Vancouver, Glen Mervyn of Vancouver, and coxswain Sohen Biln of Westlock, Alberta. Canada had a silver medal winning time of 6:01.52. Germany won the gold medal with a time of 5:57.18. Czechoslovakia won the bronze medal with a time of 6:04.84. Canada reached the podium by 5.05 seconds over France, which finished in fourth place with a time of 6:06.57.
MacKinnon also won a gold medal for Canada in the men’s eights rowing event at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Cardiff, Wales. In 1957, MacKinnon was inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, and in 1966, he was inducted into the British Columbia Sports Hall of Fame.
