Horace Gwynne

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Horace Gwynne, nicknamed "Lefty," was a Canadian boxer from Toronto who fought in the bantamweight division. He was born on October 5, 1912, and died on April 16, 2001, in Toronto.

Early life
Gwynne grew up very small and weighed only about 65 pounds as a child. He trained in Toronto, initially weighing options like becoming a jockey before focusing on boxing.

Amateur career and Olympic gold
At age 19, Gwynne won the Canadian amateur bantamweight title. He then competed in the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles as a bantamweight (up to 118 pounds) and won the gold medal, defeating Hans Ziglarski of Germany in the final on points. He was the first Canadian to win Olympic boxing gold, and it would be 56 years before another Canadian—Lennox Lewis in 1988—matched that achievement.

1932 Olympic results:
- Quarterfinal: defeated Vito Melis (Italy) on points
- Semifinal: defeated José Villanueva (Philippines) on points
- Final: defeated Hans Ziglarski (Germany) on points to win gold

Professional career
Right after the Olympics, Gwynne turned professional. He won the Canadian professional bantamweight title in 1939 and retired after two more bouts, without defending the title. His professional record was 40 wins (6 by knockout), 8 losses (1 by knockout), and 2 draws.

Honors and legacy
Gwynne was inducted into the Canadian Boxing Hall of Fame and the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame. He passed away in Toronto in 2001 at the age of 88.