Frank Havens (canoeist)

Frank Havens

Personal information
Full name	Frank Benjamin Havens
Born	August 1, 1924 (1924-08) (age 99) Arlington, Virginia, U.S.
Medal record Men's canoe sprint Representing the United States Olympic Games 1952 Helsinki C-1 10000 m 1948 London C-1 10000 m

Frank Benjamin Havens (born August 1, 1924) is an American sprint canoer who competed from the late 1940s to the early 1960s. He was born in Arlington, Virginia. Competing in four Summer Olympics, he won two medals in the C-1 10000 m event with a gold in 1952 and a silver in 1948. In Haven’s first shot in the 1948 Olympic games, he finished second to Capek by 35.4 seconds in a canoe he borrowed from the Czechs. In 1952 his world record was set in a canoe he and his brother, Bill, imported from Sweden for about $160. He is, as of 2011, the only American Olympic gold medal winner in a singles canoeing event. He is a member of the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame.