Robin Thomas DIXON

As Britain does not have a single bobsleigh run, the victory of Robin Dixon and Tony Nash in the two-man bobsleigh in 1964 has been compared with a competitor from a country without a pool winning a gold medal for swimming. Dixon and Nash had been well advised in their preparation by Formula 1 driver Tony Brooks and in 1963 they finished third in the World Championship that was held over the Olympic course at Igls, near Innsbruck, Austria. At the 1964 Olympics, the British pair was lying second to the Canadians after the opening run but moved into first position on the second run. They then lost the lead to the Italians before a magnificent fourth and final run gave them victory by the margin of 12/100ths of a second. The 1964 World Championship went with the Olympic title and with Nash as driver and Dixon as brakeman they retrained their world title at St Moritz in 1965. Although they failed to retain their Olympic title in 1968, they finished a commendable fifth at Alpe d’ Huez, France.

He was one of the British Army's top sprinters when introduced to the sport by a friend, the later notorious Lord Lucan, while on holiday in St.Moritz in 1957.

Dixon was educated at Eton and was awarded the MBE in recognition of his Olympic success. He left the army in 1966 and pursued a successful business career with Kodak and the Redland building material company until the death of his father in 1995 meant he inherited the title of Baron Glentoran and a place in the House of Lords. Dixon became an active conservative member of the House and was one of the 96 hereditary peers to retain his place after the chamber was reformed in 1999. He served as Shadow Minister for Northern Ireland, Shadow Minister for Sport and Shadow Minister for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs during the Conservative Party's time in opposition.