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Practice dictation & shadowing on the daily life story: Ned Hanlan
Ned Hanlan
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(1)
Ned Hanlon
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Edward Ned Hanlon 1855 to 1908 was one of the most important athletes in Canadian history.
(3)
Hanlon and Orsman helped shape the direction of Canadian sport in its early formative years.
(4)
His combination of athletic success and popularity with rowing spectators helped promote the cause of rowing and professional sport In the late 19th century.
(5)
Rowing was one of the, if not the most popular sports in Canada.
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The sport received as much, if not more, press coverage and general public interest than any other sport.
(7)
In addition, the sports long history in Canada, Great Britain, Australia and the United States developed into well organized national and international championships, including one of the first regularly held World Championships in any sport.
(8)
In fact, Hanlon was a regular winner of World Championship titles.
(9)
Part of the popularity of rowing involved gambling and lucrative prizes.
(10)
Spectators regularly bet on single scowling in much the same way they do on horse racing today.
(11)
Hanlon quickly rose to fame in the late 19th century through a combination of careful financial planning of his athletic career and his mastery of the sport.
(12)
Perhaps his most ingenious invention was that now common sliding seat.
(13)
By fixing wheels onto a wooden seat, Hanlon gained an advantage over his competitors who slid back and forth in the boat on Grease.
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The extra use of his legs translated into greater boat speed for Hanlon.
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Hanlon was also noteworthy for his methods of gaining popularity with fans.
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Recognizing the importance of the entertainment value of sport, Hanlon would regularly wave to the crowds and perform rowing tricks such as removing his hands from the oars in the middle of the race.
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He was even known to fake an injury in the middle of a race, only to recover just in time to win the race.
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Of course, the additional purpose of this strategy was to raise gambling odds.
(19)
That's making himself and his financial handlers wealthier.
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From his victories in the 1870s and 1880s, Hanlon won and then successfully defended his world championship title 7 times.
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He also competed in commercial exhibitions and rowing tours around the world.
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After his competitive career ended, Hanlon went on to coach younger oarsman in two North American universities, Toronto and Columbia.
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So famous was Hanlon, the one major newspaper in Canada claimed he was the single greatest agent for attracting new immigrants to the young country.
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Today, a bronze statue stands in Toronto in honor of his success, and an island just off the shores of the city of Toronto is named after Hanlon.