Known throughout the rowing world as “Felix”, John Badcock made his Olympic début in 1928 as a member of the Thames Rowing Club crew that won the silver medals in the eights. Four years later at the 1932 Olympics in California, he gave a memorable performance at stroke in the coxless fours, holding his crew together when they were hard pressed by the Germans. The British four finally finished with clear water between themselves and the Germans and Britain maintained its record of having won the coxless fours on each of the four occasions it had been held at the Olympics. Although educated at Merchant Taylor’s School, which is not noted for its rowing, Badcock had a long association with the river as his family had been in business on the Thames for almost a hundred years as boat builders and wharfingers. In 1934, “Felix” Badcock married the swimmer, Joyce Cooper, who had one silver and three bronze medals at the 1928 and 1932 Olympics along with four gold medals at the 1930 Empire Games. They sent both sons to Harrow, as Badcock did not want them to row as schoolboys, but eventually both became accomplished oarsmen, David winning his blue in the Oxford boat in 1958 and the elder son, Felix, rowing for England at the Commonwealth Games the same year.
Great Britain