Wednesday 29 December 2010

run, white boy, run


Because I am nice, Santa gave me a present this year (normally I am not nice). It's a book about the 1908 Olympics, and I would be shocked if it doesn't provide more anecdotes than the one which opens Chapter One*, which is as far as I have read:

Lieutenant Wyndham Halswelle was representing Great Britain. His talent had been spotted serving with the Highland Light Infantry during the Boer War, and he returned to win all kinds of championships, and 'set a Scottish record for 300 yards that was not beaten until 1961, when Menzies Campbell, later for a time to be the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, took it away from him.'

What? Really? Did you know this? Does everybody? The people I was with didn't, but maybe they were the only ones. It does seem odd that I didn't know it. You probably know it. Sorry. 300 yards is a sort of nonsense event, but Ming held the GB 100m record from 1967-1974, which is for real. He was known for a time (as various others have been since) as 'the fastest white man on the planet.'



* Dr Badger Cries 'Foul!'

2 comments:

an_ordinary_person said...

You may not believe me, but I actually did know that.

But not the bit about him being know as 'the fastest white man on the planet' which sounds, quite frankly, fantastical.

~L~

Robert Hudson said...

I absolutely believe you. I wasn't joking. I expect most people know. I just can't think how I didn't.