Rowing Legend Jack Guest Inducted into Row Ontario Hall of Fame

Legendary Rower Jack Guest was honoured on Thursday, becoming the latest inductee in 2023 Row Ontario Hall of Fame class. One of Canada’s most successful rowers during the first half of the 1900’s, Guest joins Thomas Loudon (Builder) as the two heritage inductees for 2023 HOF Class.

Guest began his rowing career at Toronto’s Don Rowing Club in 1924 and a year later moved to the Toronto Argonaut Rowing Club. He began in crews of fours and eights, but soon proved to be a talented single sculler progressed quickly in the sport. In 1927, he won the Canadian junior single sculls championship and the following year set his sights on the Diamond Sculls Championships at the prestigious Henley Royal Regatta. He was beaten out in the semi-finals by another talented Canadian, Joe Wright Jr., who would go on to win the Diamond Sculls Championship that year.

Later that year, Guest would team up with Wright Jr. in the double sculls at the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics. After suffering a surprise defeat in the second round, the duo came back to beat France in the repechagé and followed that up with a victory over the Germans in the quarter-finals. They had a walkover in the semi-finals and were defeated by the Americans in the gold medal final by 10 seconds, to claim the silver medal. The following year, Guest won the 1929 Canadian single sculls championship, but was again bested by Wright Jr. at the Diamond Sculls Championship. However, the following year would prove to be his redemption as he was back on the Henley-on-Thames course in the Diamond Sculls for a third time. In preparation for the event he embarked on a year-long training regimen and was in top form at the event, winning his preliminary races to advance to the final against Gerhard Boetzelen of Germany, who had beaten Wright Jr. in the semi-finals. Guest dominated the final, winning easily over Boetzelen to earn his first Diamond Sculls Championship. He retired from elite competition immediately following the event.

Upon returning home from Henley, ‘Jack of Diamonds’ was greeted with a hero’s welcome. Its reported that 70,000 people came out on the streets of Toronto to greet the returning champion.

Guest had a short but extremely successful rowing career and remained very active in rowing as a sports administrator becoming president of the Don Rowing Club. He managed the Canadian rowing delegations at 1956 Melbourne Olympics and at the British Empire and Commonwealth Games of 1962 and 1966 and served as Director of the Canadian Olympic Association from 1960-68. He was also the first Canadian elected to the International Rowing Federation (FISA) in 1969. He would pass down his love of rowing to his son, Jack Guest, Jr., who was selected to row at Helsinki 1952 but had to withdraw due to injury. His great granddaughter Katie also rowed at the Don Rowing Club and received a rowing scholarship in the United States.

Guest received many post-career honours, including inductions into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame in 1952, and Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in 1955. The Jack Guest Award is also given annually to the male junior single sculler of the year by Rowing Canada Aviron.

Row Ontario will be announcing the inductions of the 2023 Hall of Fame class throughout the week as part of ‘Hall of Fame Week’. Previously announced members of the 2023 Row Ontario Hall of Fame induction class are Nancy Storrs (Coach/Builder), Lynda Dundas (Builder), Thomas R. Loudon (Builder – Heritage) and the 1952 Argonaut Eight (Crew). Stay tuned tomorrow for the final two announcements on the 2023 induction class of the Row Ontario Hall of Fame.