| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | James Dudley Achurch | ||||||||||||||
| Nationality | Australian | ||||||||||||||
| Born | (1928-01-21)21 January 1928 Epping, New South Wales | ||||||||||||||
| Died | 5 November 2015(2015-11-05) (aged 87) Nambour, Queensland | ||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||
| Country | Australia | ||||||||||||||
| Sport | Athletics | ||||||||||||||
| Event | Javelin throw | ||||||||||||||
| Club | Thompson Estate and Eastern Suburbs Athletics | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
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| Updated on 23 November 2015 | |||||||||||||||
James Dudley Achurch (21 January 1928 – 5 November 2015) was an Australian javelin thrower who competed in the 1956 Summer Olympics. He won the gold medal in the men's javelin throw event at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Vancouver, Canada.
Achurch discovered his talent while growing up on a farm in New South Wales and throwing rocks and rabbits. His father later sold the farm and purchased a tennis center, where James learned to play the game as well.
Over the years, Achurch worked in multiple professions, including running a passionfruit and pineapple farm, as well as a carriage builder, a house painter, and a wardsman, plus running maintenance contracts for Nambour General Hospital.
References
- James Achurch's obituary
- Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "James Achurch". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 16 December 2012. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
- "James Achurch". Australian Commonwealth Games Association. Archived from the original on 29 February 2016. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
- "Jim Achurch". Olympedia. OLYMadMen. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
| Commonwealth Games champions in men's javelin throw | |
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- 1928 births
- 2015 deaths
- Sportsmen from New South Wales
- Australian male javelin throwers
- Olympic athletes for Australia
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1956 Summer Olympics
- Commonwealth Games medallists in athletics
- Commonwealth Games gold medallists for Australia
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games
- Recipients of the Australian Sports Medal
- Medallists at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games
- Australian Athletics Championships winners
- 20th-century Australian sportsmen
- Australian athletics biography stubs