Newspapers carried stories of his feats at track meets, and many articles stated that he was a potential Olympic winner. While at the University of Edinburgh, Liddell became well known for being the fastest runner in Scotland. His headmaster, George Robertson, described him as being "entirely without vanity." During the boys' time at Eltham, their parents, sister, and new brother Ernest came home on furlough two or three times and were able to be together as a family, mainly living in Edinburgh.Īt Eltham, Liddell was an outstanding athlete, earning the Blackheath Cup as the best athlete of his year, and playing for the First XI and the First XV by the age of 15, later becoming captain of both the cricket and rugby union teams. Their parents and sister Jenny returned to China. At the age of six, he and his eight-year-old brother Robert were enrolled in Eltham College, a boarding school in south London for the sons of missionaries.
Liddell went to school in China until the age of five. James Dunlop Liddell, Scottish missionaries with the London Missionary Society. Liddell's Olympic training and racing, and the religious convictions that influenced him, are depicted in the Oscar-winning 1981 film Chariots of Fire, in which he is portrayed by fellow Scot and University of Edinburgh alumnus Ian Charleson.Įric often called the "Flying Scotsman", was born 16 January 1902, in Tientsin, China, the second son of the Reverend and Mrs. Aside from two furloughs in Scotland, he remained in China until his death in a Japanese civilian internment camp in 1945. He returned to China in 1925 to serve as a missionary teacher.
Instead he competed in the 400 metres held on a weekday, a race that he won. Born in Qing China to Scottish missionary parents, he attended boarding school near London, spending time when possible with his family in Edinburgh, and afterwards attended the University of Edinburgh.Īt the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, Liddell refused to run in the heats for his favoured 100 metres because they were held on a Sunday. Eric Henry Liddell ( / ˈ l ɪ d əl/ 16 January 1902 – 21 February 1945) was a Scottish sprinter, rugby player, and Christian missionary.
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