Bowls and Australia’s unique slice of Olympic history
Bowls is often not associated with being an Olympic sport but it would not take much digging to in fact realise that the sport has very well been part of one of the biggest movements in the world.
While it is yet to feature at an able-bodied Olympics, lawn bowls has been part of the Paralympic programme on seven occasions dating back to its inaugural appearance in Tel Aviv 1968, where Great Britain would clinch three gold and South Africa one across the four disciplines.
Fast forward four years to Heidelberg 1972, not the Northern suburb of Melbourne but in Germany’s southwest, where Australia would claim its first gold medal in the sport as Eric Magennis took home the first of his staggering three gold medals in the sport.
Magennis claimed men’s singles honours over Great Britain’s John Ure in the decider to make history for the country and the sport within it.
He would salute again in Toronto 1976 in the wheelchair men’s pairs with the late Bruce Thwaite to solidify himself as one of the best para bowlers in Australian history.
Two would turn into three eight years later at the 1984 Games when he and and fellow triple gold medallist in Queenslander Roy Fowler conquered the men’s paraplegic pairs discipline.
The late Fowler would make history at the same event as the first Australian to win two bowling titles at the same Paralympics as he clinched the men’s paraplegic singles on top of the pairs.
He would front up four years later to win the men’s 2-6 pairs with Stan Kosmala, who’s own history at the Paralympics is quite impressive, moving to compete in shooting at Sydney 2000 with his wife, Libby, who is a nine-time Paralympic gold medallist in the sport.
Toronto 1976 saw history as the first females to win gold made a name for themselves in Charmaine Smith and Adele Jackson, who defeated the United Kingdom’s Iris Baker and Kate Bonnett in the decider.
Smith was able to take home silver in the singles B discipline after going down to Bonnett in the final.
Four years later in Arnhem, Gloria Pascoe joined Smith and Jackson as the country’s female gold medallists after saluting in the singles B.
Australia’s last medals came in Atlanta 1996 as June Clark and Pauline Cahill took home silver and bronze respectively in the women’s singles LB3-5 with the sport taken off the program ahead of what would have been a home Games in Sydney.
Overall, the nation won eight gold medals, seven silver and five bronze with a grand total of 20 that would sit only behind Great Britain’s tally of 84.
In fact, bowls sits as Australia’s fifth most successful sport at the Paralympics, sitting behind only athletics, swimming, cycling and shooting.