Eric Liddell

Eric Henry Liddell (January 16, 1902 - February 22, 1945) was a Olympic champion and Christian missionary to China. He is noted for refusing to compete in the 1924 Olympics in one of the qualifying races for the 100m dash (and the 4 × 400 m relay for Britain), because it was held on the Sabbath of Sunday. He was criticized widely by the liberal media for his courageous stance based on faith.

Liddell then competed and surprisingly won a gold medal in the 400m dash at the same Olympics.

These 1924 Olympic games, held in Paris, France, prohibited African Americans from competing in the sprints and hurdles competitions. A black athlete was allowed to compete and win a gold medal in the long jump, the first ever.

References[edit]

• http://www.rampantscotland.com/famous/blfamliddell.htm
• http://www.electricscotland.com/history/men/eric_liddell.htm
• http://www.olympics.org.uk/athleterecord.aspx?at=1992