Olympic Gold Medalist. He gained recognition for receiving a Gold Medal in the 1924 Summer Olympics in the Men's 400-meter race, which was documented in the 1981 Academy-Award-winning British film "Chariots of Fire." Born to Scottish missionaries, he was educated at Eltham College, a boarding school in Blackheath. He entered Edinburgh University in 1920, from which he later graduated with a Science Degree. An exceptional athlete, he played rugby for the University and also Scotland's national team but put aside that sport to pursue running. In July of 1923, he won the 220-yard and 100-yard dash in the AAA Championships in London, with times that remained as England's best for 35 years. He joined the British Olympic Team with the intent of running in the 100-meter, 4 x 100-meter, and 4 x 400-meter relays, in which he excelled, but due to his religious convictions, he declined to run in the qualifying heats for these events when he learned they were to be held on Sunday. Instead, he turned his focus to the 200-meter and 400-meter events, winning the bronze medal in the 200 and the gold medal in the 400, as well as setting a world record for the 400-meter with a time of 47.6 seconds. His Olympic accomplishments were chronicled in the 1981 film Chariots of Fire. After the Olympics, he joined the London Missionary Society, serving in China and becoming ordained as a minister in 1932. During World War II, he was interned in a Japanese prison camp after China was invaded and spent his time there as a teacher and supervisor of sports programs. He died of a brain tumor while still imprisoned in the camp.
Olympic Gold Medalist. He gained recognition for receiving a Gold Medal in the 1924 Summer Olympics in the Men's 400-meter race, which was documented in the 1981 Academy-Award-winning British film "Chariots of Fire." Born to Scottish missionaries, he was educated at Eltham College, a boarding school in Blackheath. He entered Edinburgh University in 1920, from which he later graduated with a Science Degree. An exceptional athlete, he played rugby for the University and also Scotland's national team but put aside that sport to pursue running. In July of 1923, he won the 220-yard and 100-yard dash in the AAA Championships in London, with times that remained as England's best for 35 years. He joined the British Olympic Team with the intent of running in the 100-meter, 4 x 100-meter, and 4 x 400-meter relays, in which he excelled, but due to his religious convictions, he declined to run in the qualifying heats for these events when he learned they were to be held on Sunday. Instead, he turned his focus to the 200-meter and 400-meter events, winning the bronze medal in the 200 and the gold medal in the 400, as well as setting a world record for the 400-meter with a time of 47.6 seconds. His Olympic accomplishments were chronicled in the 1981 film Chariots of Fire. After the Olympics, he joined the London Missionary Society, serving in China and becoming ordained as a minister in 1932. During World War II, he was interned in a Japanese prison camp after China was invaded and spent his time there as a teacher and supervisor of sports programs. He died of a brain tumor while still imprisoned in the camp.
Bio by: Anonymous
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