John Brendan Kelly Sr., born on 4 October 1889 and died on 20 June 1960, was an American rower from Philadelphia and the first rower to become a triple Olympic champion. He learned to scull on the Schuylkill River, became a six-time national champion and won 126 straight single sculls races in 1919 and 1920. In 1920 the Henley Royal Regatta refused his entry to the Diamond Sculls, citing an earlier dispute involving his rowing club and his work as a manual labourer. He built a brickwork contracting firm into a multimillion-dollar business, served as Pennsylvania secretary of revenue and ran unsuccessfully for mayor of Philadelphia in 1935. His children included the actress Grace Kelly and the rower Jack Kelly Jr.
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Source John B. Kelly Sr. (Wikipedia)Lead, nationalityQuote, Lead, nationality
was an American triple Olympic champion, the first in the sport of rowing
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1. John B. Kelly Sr. (Wikipedia)
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October 4, 1889
Rowing career
a six-time U.S. national champion who was one of the most popular figures in the sport
Lead, nationality
was an American triple Olympic champion, the first in the sport of rowing
Competed In: 1920 Summer Olympics, Redemption at the 1920 Olympics
representing the United States at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium
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