Lorne Atkinson
Personal information
Born(1921-06-08)8 June 1921
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Died23 April 2010(2010-04-23) (aged 88)
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Lorne Atkinson (8 June 1921 – 23 April 2010) was a Canadian cyclist.[1] He competed in four events at the 1948 Summer Olympics.[2] Nicknamed "Ace",[3] Atkinson spent his life involved in cycling in the Vancouver area.[4]

Biography

Atkinson was born in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1921.[1] Atkinson's father was a Scottish professional cyclist, with Atkinson competing in races from when he was a teenager.[5] He soon earned the nickname "Ace" after winning a race and a newspaper printing a story with the headline of "City ace triumphs in Province Cup".[5] He became a junior provincial champion in 1939, and would go on to win four senior provincial titles and two national titles.[4] In 1946, Atkinson founded his business Ace's Cycles,[6] which he ran for more than 60 years.[3]

At the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, Atkinson competed in four events, two on the road and two on the track.[1][7] On the road, Atkinson rode in both the individual road race and the team road race, but did not finish in either event.[8][9] On the track, he was eliminated in the first round of the team pursuit event,[10] and finished in 15th place in the track time trial.[11]

Following the Olympics, Atkinson competed at the 1950 British Empire Games in Auckland, and the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in his hometown.[1] He was also the captain of the Canadian team that finished in fourth place in the 10-mile scratch event at the 1954 Games.[4] He was in charge of organising cycling events in Vancouver during the 1950s and 1960s,[12] becoming the president of the Vancouver Bicycle Club in 1962.[13] Five years later, he coached the Canadian team at the 1967 Pan American Games in Winnipeg.[4]

Atkinson was inducted into the BC Sports Hall of Fame in 1997,[4] was awarded with the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002,[14] and won the British Columbia Community Achievement Award in 2006.[1] Just prior to his death, he was presented with the Olympic torch as part of the relay for the 2010 Winter Olympics.[4] He died in April 2010 at the age of 88.[15]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Lorne Atkinson". Olympedia. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
  2. ↑ "Lorne Atkinson Olympic Results". sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
  3. 1 2 "Lorne Ace Atkinson". Legacy. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Lorne Atkinson kept cycling alive in postwar Vancouver". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
  5. 1 2 "Ace Cycles". Place That Matter. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
  6. ↑ "Ace Cycles: Owners: Jan Atkinson, George Inglis & Shay Inglis, Year Established: 1946". Kits on Broadway. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
  7. ↑ "Lorne Atkinson". Canadian Olympic Committee. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
  8. ↑ "Road Race, Individual, Men". Olympedia. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
  9. ↑ "Road Race, Team, Men". Olympedia. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
  10. ↑ "Team Pursuit, 4,000 metres, Men". Olympedia. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
  11. ↑ "1,000 metres Time Trial, Men". Olympedia. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
  12. ↑ "Lorne 'Ace' Atkinson". British Columbia Sports Hall of Fame and Museum. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
  13. ↑ "The Suit Still Fits". Hero in You. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
  14. ↑ "Lorne Atkinson". BC Achievement Foundation. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
  15. ↑ "BC Cycling Legend Lorne "Ace" Atkinson Dies at 88". BC Randonneurs Cycling Club. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
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