Frank Havens, an Arlington, Virginia native, has the rare distinction of being
a four time Olympian. He was destined to become an Olympian the day he was
born, August 1, 1924, four days after the Olympics competition that his father
was scheduled to compete in, but did not for fear of missing his son's debut
into the world.
Many years later in the 1952 Olympic Games at Helsinki,
Finland, Havens won the grueling 10,000-meter Canadian single-blade race in 57
minutes and 41 seconds. He broke the world record set by Czechoslovakia's
Frantisek Capek.
Havens competed in four Olympics, 1948 at London, 1952 at Helsinki, Finland,
1956 at Melbourne, Australia, and 1960 at Rome, Italy. He was a leading
candidate to be the United States' flag–bearer in the opening ceremonies at
Rome, but at the last minute the honor went to decathlete Rafer Johnson. In
Havens' first shot in the 1948 Olympic Games, he finished second to Capek by
35.4 seconds in a canoe he borrowed from the Czechs. In 1952, his world record
was set in a canoe he and his brother, Bill, imported from Sweden for about
$160.00.
Havens, whose many accomplishments include the National Paddling Single Blade
championships in 1950, 1951, 1952, 1956, 1957, and 1961 refused to rest. In
the 1985 World Masters Games in Toronto, at the age of 61, he paddled his way
to seven first-place medals in seven races. The former Olympian continued his
extraordinary victory streak in the 1989 World Games in Denmark.
In his book, "100 Greatest Moments in Olympic History," Emmy Award winning
film maker Bud Greenspan describes how American Bill Havens Sr., undefeated
and untied, would have been one of the favorites for a gold medal in canoeing
at the 1924 Olympics in Paris. After several days of soul-searching, though,
he decided not to make the two-week overseas boat trip to Paris; his wife was
due to give birth to their child around that time, and he wanted to be at her
bedside.
Their son, Frank, was born four days after the Olympics ended, so Havens
certainly would have missed the birth had he competed.
"It would take almost three decades before he realized he made the correct
decision," Greenspan writes, "for in the summer of 1952 he received a telegram
from Helsinki, Finland, the scene of the Olympics. The telegram read:
" 'Dear Dad, Thanks for waiting around for me to get born in 1924. I'm coming
home with the gold medal you should have won.' It was signed, 'Your loving
son, Frank.' Frank Havens had just won the gold medal in the singles 10,000
meters canoeing event."
Frank Havens remains the only American Olympic gold medal winner in a singles
canoeing event.
From everyone at the International Canoe Federation, and the entire canoeing community, we pass our condolences on to Frank's loved ones, but also toast the incredible life of a wonderful and inspiring athlete.
