 Amlong in 1963 | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | June 15, 1935 Fort Knox, Kentucky, U.S.[1] | |||||||||||
| Died | January 26, 2009 (aged 73) New Haven, Connecticut, U.S. | |||||||||||
| Height | 186 cm (6 ft 1 in) | |||||||||||
| Weight | 91 kg (201 lb) | |||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||
| Sport | Rowing | |||||||||||
| Club | Vesper Boat Club[1] | |||||||||||
Medal record
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Thomas Kennedy "Tom" Amlong (June 15, 1935 – January 26, 2009) was an Americancompetition rower who often teamed with his brotherJoe. In 1964 they won the national title incoxless pairs and an Olympic gold medal in theeights.[1][2]
Amlong was the third son of Colonel Ransom George Amlong and Marguerite Kennedy. He was born atFort Knox, Kentucky, where his father was stationed at the time. In 1946 the family moved toHuntley Meadows Park inFairfax County, Virginia, and lived there until 1950, when Amlong Sr. was transferred toLiège, Belgium. There Tom and Joe were introduced to rowing in 1951. Later in 1951 they moved to Germany and competed there in coxless pairs in 1952. The brothers became quickly known for their power, rude characters and lack of communication skills.[3] In 1953 Amlong Sr. retired, and the family returned to Huntley. After the death of Marguerite in 1972, Ransom George and Tom moved toLouisiana.[4]
In August 1954 Tom and Joe enlisted to the82nd Airborne Division. Next year they successfully applied to an Army sports program, and were transferred to Washington, to prepare for the 1956 Olympics at thePotomac River. They were defeated at the 1956 Olympic Trials, and soon after that Tom enrolled toUniversity of Maryland, a year later transferring toUniversity of Virginia. In 1961 the brothers joined the Vesper Boat Club in Philadelphia.[5]
Following his father Amlong had a 20-year-long career in the U.S. Army and was deployed in Vietnam. He retired as captain, and later had cancer, presumably caused by exposure toAgent Orange in Vietnam. In his late life Amlong lived inOld Lyme, Connecticut.[6] He was a lifetime member of the National Rowing Association and Vesper Rowing Club. He died aged 73.[7] he also had a sister Mary Diane Amlong.[4]
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