ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Don Rioux, Golf
Don Rioux is a worried man.
He thinks his game — golf— is running the risk of boring its players to tears and after that the next step is the endangered species list, and no self-respecting Scot would have any truck with that.
The problem to be solved is slow play, something undoubtedly picked up by the guilty from watching their heroes on television. What the watcher forgets is the PGA tour golfers and he do not play the same game.
Four to four-and-a-half hour games are the exception rather than the rule and the 1969 Associated Canadian Travellers athlete of the year hasn’t found one simple answer.
Currently skills development manager at the Algonquin Management Centre, Rioux won the ACT nomination in 1968 while on a golf scholarship at the University of Kentucky where he studied telecommunications. He also played the Peter Jackson pro tour the 1973-74 and 75 seasons. He is back as an amateur at present.
Before his Algonquin job he worked for the CRTC between Peter Jackson seasons and was in the restaurant business among other occupations.
To win the ACT honour he took the Quebec Amateur, made the Willingdon Cup team, and the City and district medal title and “four or five one-day things. I can’t remember just what ones.”
SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR (BOB MAKI TROPHY)
Harold Costin, speed skating
No biography available for Harold Costin.
Alpine Skiing — Sue Graves
Bowling — Richard Morin
Cross-country Skiing — Malcolm Hunter
Curling — Eldon Coombe
Equestrian — Torchy Miller
Football — Terry Black
Figure Skating — Linda Carbonetto
Golf — Don Rioux
Hockey — Pierre Jarry
Lawn Bowling — Gerry Whitley
Paddling — Claudia Hunt
Water Ski — Helen Gregoire
Weightlifting — Aldo Roy
Aldo Roy signalled he had enough of competitive weightlifting with the Mexican Olympics and he turned to coaching and promotion of the sport… Rideau High School athlete Malcolm Hunter, now executive director for cross-country skiing, finished second in both the Canadian and American junior overland championships… The following year he won both the Canadian junior and senior titles. .. Pierre Jarry one of the few bright lights in the early days of Ottawa 67’s junior hockey was rewarded with the hockey player of the year honours for his efforts… He had a short-lived career in pro hockey… A last minute decision to add 14 year old Betsy Clifford to the Olympic ski squad ended up in a debacle according to all concerned… Betsy, at least could claim she is Canada’s youngest winter Olympian.