Leonard Bruce Kent (23 October 1928 – 9 May 1979) was a New Zealand cyclist who represented his country at the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne.[1]
Cycling
Kent competed in the team pursuit event at the 1956 Summer Olympics, with teammates Warwick Dalton, Neil Ritchie and Donald Eagle. They finished tied for fifth place, after winning their first-round contest but losing in the quarter-finals.[2][3]
He was a life member of the Manukau Cycling Club and Auckland Amateur Cycling Centre.[4]
Later life
Kent worked as a freelance reporter and photographer, writing on several sports, and often contributing to The New Zealand Herald and Auckland Star newspapers.[4][5] He was the official photographer at Western Springs speedway, and was the press officer for the Auckland Cycling Centre for a number of years.[5]
Death
He was accidentally killed at Waitangi on 9 May 1979.[6][7] While he and two other men were hauling their three-metre yacht out of the water, the yacht's mast touched a high-voltage power line and were electrocuted.[5][8] Kent's brother-in-law, Trevor Hamilton, was also killed in the incident.[5]
References
- ^ "Bruce Kent". New Zealand Olympic Committee. 2016. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
- ^ "Lionel Kent". Sports-Reference. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 27 July 2014.
- ^ "New Zealand cycling at the 1956 Melbourne summer games". Sports-Reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
- ^ a b "One of sport's characters". New Zealand Herald. 11 May 1979. p. 11.
- ^ a b c d "Olympian killed in yacht mishap". Auckland Star. 10 May 1979. p. 30.
- ^ "New Zealand, cemetery records, 1800–2007". Ancestry.com Operations. 2014. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
- ^ "Kent, Bruce". New Zealand Card Index. Auckland Libraries. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
- ^ "Two killed as mast touches live wire". New Zealand Herald. 10 May 1979. p. 1.
External links
- Leonard Kent at Olympics.com
- Leonard Kent at Olympedia
- Leonard Kent at the New Zealand Olympic Committee
