page_title: Ned Hanlan
section_title: Rowing career
hierarchical_section_title: Ned Hanlan / Rowing career
caption_attribution_description: Edward Ned Hanlan - 1855-1908 Canada's First International Sports Hero
context_page_description: Edward "Ned" Hanlan was a professional sculler, hotelier, and alderman from Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
context_section_description: He turned professional in c. 1874 / 5 and soon afterwards he beat all comers at the Centennial International Exhibition at Philadelphia in 1876.  In 1877 he became champion sculler of Canada, followed by Champion sculler of the United States in 1878.  That same year, Hanlan won the Dufferin Gold Medal. After further success in North America he decided to test his mettle against Europe and traveled to England in 1879 where, on 16 June 1879 he defeated the English champion, W. Elliott of Blyth, rowing the course from the Mansion House in Newcastle upon Tyne to the Scotswood Bridge on the River Tyne in the record time of 21 minutes 2 seconds.  Ultimately he lost only six of his 300 races during his rowing career. He was the world sculling champion for five consecutive years from 1880–1884.
  Unlike his English professional rivals, he used the slide simultaneously with the swing, kept his body well back, and held his arms straight long past the perpendicular before bending them, added strength being given by the skilful use of his great leg power.
caption: Ned Hanlan monument, sculpted by Emanuel Hahn, on the Toronto Islands
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