Trevor Manning
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Olympic medal record | |||
Men's Field Hockey | |||
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Gold | Montreal 1976 | Team Competition |
Trevor Wayne Manning (born December 19, 1945 in Wellington) is a former field hockey goalkeeper from New Zealand, who was a member of the national team that won the golden medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal.
He was the back-up NZ team goalie at the 1968 and 1972 Summer Olympics, and never played a match at either tournament. He'd been a member of the New Zealand side since 1967, but for several years was kept out of the top line-up by first choice Ross McPherson. But in 1976 he was the No 1 goalie and played a full and vital part in the gold medal triumph.
The Wellingtonian is famous because with just a few minutes remaining in the 1976 Olympic final against Australia (1-0 win), he stopped a powerful shot but smashed his kneecap in the process, not that he knew it at the time.
After taking a few moments to recover from the blow, he did two full squats, which proved to the New Zealand team management that he was ready to resume playing. Manning, a courageous goalie, made another outstanding save near the end of the match.
Manning, a waterside worker for many years, has remained close to hockey, but his career was virtually ended by the accident in Montreal. He required extensive surgery on his return home.