Philip Wilkinson (born 10 August 1947) is an Australian former representative rower. He competed in the men's coxed four event at the 1972 Summer Olympics.^[1]

Club, state and Olympic rowing

Wilkinson was educated at Cranbrook School, Sydney where he took up rowing. At the second ever Australian Rowing Championships in Canberra in 1964 he rowed in a Cranbrook schoolboy eight^[2] His senior rowing was from the Haberfield Rowing Club. ^[3]

Wilkinson was selected in New South Wales state representative men's senior eights contesting the King's Cup at the Interstate Regatta within the Australian Rowing Championships in 1970 and 1971.^[3] At the 1972 Australian Rowing Championships Wilkinson was in the two seat of a composite Drummoyne/Sydney/Haberfield four which took the men's coxed four national title, qualifying all crew members for the Australian Olympic squad.^[4]

Wilkinson, his Haberfield bow teammate John Lee and coxswain Vern Bowrey from the national champion coxed four of 1972 were selected as the Australian 4+ for Munich 1972. Drummoyne's Brian Denny was also selected at stroke but tragically was electrocuted in a work accident in the Olympic lead-up. Monash University's Will Baillieu and West Australian Peter Shakespear came into the Olympic four. In Munich they finished in overall thirteenth place.^[5]

References