Russell Mockridge

Russell Mockridge

Personal information
Full name	Russell Mockridge
Born	18 July 1928(1928-07-18) Melbourne, Australia
Died	13 September 1958(1958-09-13) (aged 30) Melbourne, Australia
Team information
Discipline	Track & Road
Role	Rider
Medal record Competitor for Australia Track cycling Olympic Games Gold 1952 Helsinki Kilo Gold 1952 Helsinki 2000m tandem British Empire Games Gold 1950 Auckland Sprint Gold 1950 Auckland Kilo Silver 1950 Auckland Pursuit
Infobox last updated on 13 April 2008

Russell Mockridge (born 18 July 1928 in Melbourne – 13 September 1958) was a racing cyclist from Geelong, Victoria, Australia. He died during a race, in collision with a bus.

Mockridge started in 1946 by winning his first race of 40 km with Geelong Amateur Cycling Club. For his upper-class accent he was dubbed Little Lord Fauntleroy, however his wins soon earned him the nickname of The Geelong Flyer. He became described as "Australia’s greatest all-round cyclist for all time".

His ride in the 1948 Summer Olympics road race in London was ruined by two punctures and his team was eliminated in the quarter-final of the 4000m team pursuit. He represented Australia at the 1950 British Empire Games in Auckland. He took gold in the 1000m sprint and the 1000m time trial, and silver in the 4000m pursuit.

In Paris in July 1952 he won the Amateur Grand Prix and the following day the Open Grand Prix, beating world professional champion Reg Harris, becoming first to win both amateur and professional Paris Sprints. His humiliation of the professionals led to amateur riders being barred for many years. Later that year he won Manchester Wheelers' Club Muratti Cup again beating Reg Harris.

Selection for the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki was in doubt as he refused to sign the Australian Olympic Federation fidelity bond, which demanded he remain amateur for two years after the Games. A former great cyclist, Hubert Opperman, then Federal parliamentarian for Geelong, negotiated a reduction to one year. Mockridge won gold medals in the tandem event with Lionel Cox, and in the 1000m time trial. He turned professional a year later with success in Europe and Australia. He teamed with Sid Patterson and Roger Arnold to win the Paris 6-Day race in 1955. Mockridge was one of 60 of 150 entrants to finish the 1955 Tour de France. He won 12 consecutive Australian championships.

In 1958, at 30, he was killed by a bus in Melbourne at the Dandenong Rd and Clayton Rd intersection two miles from the start of the 225 km Tour of Gippsland race.

Mockridge was married and had a daughter, Melinda (1955).

External links

• Russell Mockridge
• ADB biography