Eric Liddell
Eric Liddell (January 16, 1902 - 1945) was a Scottish athlete, winner of the Men's 400 metres at the Olympic Games of 1924.
Liddell, a staunch Christian, gained notoriety as a result of his refusal to race on a Sunday. The consequence was that he was forced to withdraw from the Men's 100 metres -- his best event. His success in the 400 metres was largely unexpected.
Liddell's ambition was to become a missionary, like his parents, in China, the country where he had been born. He set off in 1925, and remained there when war with Japan broke out. In 1943, he was interned, and died as a result of the conditions under which he subsequently lived. The 1981 film, Chariots of Fire, commemorated Liddell's Olympic career, and starred Ian Charleson as Liddell.
One major historic inaccuracy in the movie surrounds Liddell's refusal to race in the 100 metres. The film portrays Liddell as finding out that one of the heats was to be held on a Sunday as he was boarding the boat that would take the British Olympic team across the English Channel on their way to Paris. Actually, the schedule was made public several months in advance. Liddell then spent the remaining months training for the 400, an event in which he had previously excelled.
Referenced By
1924 Summer Olympics | Chariots of Fire | Olympic athletics medalists (men) | Olympic champions/Track and Field - Men | Olympic medalists in athletics (men)
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