Liddell, Eric Henry (1902–1945)

Scottish athlete and missionary. At the 1924 Olympics in Paris he won the gold medal in the 400 metres in a world record time of 47.6 seconds. In 1925 he went to China to work as a Scottish Congregational Church missionary. During World War II he was interned by the Japanese at Weihsien camp in China, where he died.

He would have been the favourite to win the 100 metres at the Paris Olympics had he not refused to take part on religious grounds because the heats were to be run on a Sunday (the gold medal was eventually won by Harold Abrahams). Instead, he won the bronze medal in the 200 metres. The story of his athletic triumphs was told in the film Chariots of Fire (1981).

Liddell was born in Tientsin, China, of Scottish missionary parents, and was educated at Eltham College, London, and at Edinburgh University. He completed a degree in science and a degree in divinity before going to China.