Frederick Ross "Buddy" Lucas (22 May 1931 – 18 October 2002) was a New Zealand swimmer and surf lifesaver.
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Full name | Frederick Ross Lucas | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | (1931-05-22)22 May 1931 Auckland, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Died | 18 October 2002(2002-10-18) (aged 71) Auckland, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Relatives | Fred Lucas (father) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Sport | Swimming | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Strokes | Freestyle | ||||||||||||||||||||||
College team | University of Iowa | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Lucas was born in Auckland in 1931, the son of All Black Fred Lucas. He was educated at Mt Albert Grammar School, where he excelled at rugby and swimming.[1]
At the 1950 British Empire Games he won a gold medal as part of the men's 880 yards Freestyle Relay and two bronze medals in the 440 and 1650 yards freestyle races.[2]
Lucas won a swimming scholarship to the University of Iowa in 1951, becoming the first New Zealander to win a sports scholarship to the United States. Lucas travelled to Iowa via the United Kingdom, where he won the 220 yards and 440 yards freestyle events at the British championships.[1] In 1952, despite being rated the second-best swimmer in the British Empire, his nomination for the New Zealand team for the Helsinki Olympics was rejected.[3]
In 1954 at the Vancouver British Empire and Commonwealth Games Lucas won a silver medal as part of the men's 330 yards medley relay.[2]
After his return to New Zealand from Iowa in 1957, Lucas worked in his father's menswear store in Queen Street, Auckland, and later was a sales representative for May & Baker.[3] He was active in surf lifesaving, having joined the Piha Surf Life Saving Club in 1944,[4] and served as the club's president for 16 years.[1] In 1958 he won the men's open individual surf race at the New Zealand national surf lifesaving championships.[5]
Lucas died in Auckland in 2002 after a short illness.[1][6]
1950 New Zealand British Empire Games team | |
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Chef de Mission: Bill Holley |
1954 New Zealand British Empire and Commonwealth Games team | |
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Team manager: Alex Ross |
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