John Kinsela
Olympic wrestler (1950-2020)
John Kinsella
- Born
- 27 May 1950, Surry Hills
- Died
- 9 November 2020
- Citizenship
- Australia
- Sport
- amateur wrestling
- Occupation
- amateur wrestler, military personnel
- Height
- 157 cm (5 ft 2 in)
John Francis Kinsela (27 May 1949 – 9 November 2020) was an Australian indigenous wrestler who competed in the 1968 Summer Olympics and in the 1972 Summer Olympics.
Kinsela was born in the inner-Sydney neighbourhood of Surry Hills, New South Wales, his father a Wiradjuri and his mother Jawoyn. He grew up in the neighbouring suburb of Redfern, New South Wales. At the age of 14 Kinsela left school to work in a sock factory.
Between the Mexico City and Munich Olympic Games, Kinsela was conscripted into the Australian Army, serving in the Royal Australian Artillery. In 1970 Kinsela was sent to the Vietnam War with 106 Battery, 4th Field Regiment at Nui Dat. After his retirement from wrestling, Kinsela rejoined the Australian Army serving in the 1st Commando Regiment for six years. Kinsela excelled as a Commando, winning the "Commando of the Year" award in 1981.
Competitions
| Competition | Year | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 Summer Olympics | 1968 | |
| 1972 Summer Olympics | 1972 |
Awards and honours
- Medal of the Order of Australia 2017
External links
Facts from Wikidata Q16145390 (CC0); quoted introduction from English Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Data retrieved 2026-10-22.
Data: Wikidata (CC0 1.0); Wikipedia (English) (CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.