Born Perth, W.A.
3 December, 1924 – 5 December, 2007
The first Western Australian to win an Olympic gold medal, John Winter won the high jump, beating more fancied American rivals at the 1948 Olympic Games in London.
Winter also became the first (and only) Australian to win an Olympic high jump gold medal when he cleared 6ft 6in (1.98m).
There was no doubt that Winter was destined for greatness as a high jumper following exploits as a 15-year-old for Scotch College at the 1940 interschool sports.
In that competition Winter cleared 5ft 10 3/8in (1.79m) to win the under-16 event and 6ft 0 7/8in (1.85m) to win the open event. They were performances of exceptional quality.
The start of World War II interrupted young Winter’s rise to the top. After war service, Winter returned to competition, winning the Australian championships of 1947 and 1948 in the lead-up to the London Olympics.
Winter used the Eastern cut-off style to achieve all of his big victories at national and international level.
He developed a remarkable level of consistency with his technique. All of his successes were achieved with leaps that varied only fractionally between 1.96m and 1.98m.
Winter missed the 1949 Australian championships, spending the year in London after the Olympic Games. He returned home in time to regain his Australian title in 1950 in the lead-up to the Auckland Empire Games.
He retired from senior competition after winning the high jump gold medal at the Auckland Games, clearing 1.98m, the same height that gave him his Olympic gold medal two years earlier.
He retired from senior competition after winning the high jump gold medal at the Auckland Games, clearing 1.98m, the same height that gave him his Olympic gold medal two years earlier.
Winter won the Helms Award as the outstanding Australasian athlete of 1947.