Laurie Birks had a brief, but successful, career as an amateur boxer in the aftermath of World War II, winning his first Queensland State featherweight title in 1945. His greatest accomplishments came in 1946 and 1947, when he won the Australian National Championships, which led him to be selected to represent his country at the 1948 London Olympics. There, he defeated Finlandâs Matti Tammelin in the first round, before being bested by Seo Byeong-Ran of South Korea. The following year, he moved to the lightweight class, but retired from competition in October, due to a lack of opponents to challenge despite his difficult training regimen. Already engaged to be married, he decided against turning professional. He attempted a comeback briefly in 1951, but injured his hand and then retired for good. A street in Avenell Heights, Queensland was named in his honor.
Australia