Biography athlete eric liddell

Scotland international RU player, athlete, sprinter, Olympian, Protestant missionary

For the former Hong Kong bowler, see Eric Liddell (bowls).

Eric Henry Liddell (; 16 January 1902 – 21 February 1945) was a Scottish sprinter, rugby player and Christian missionary.

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.

At the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, Liddell refused to run in the heats for his favoured 100 metresbecause they were held on a Sunday.

Instead he competed in the 400 metres held on a weekday, a race that he won.

Harold abrahams

He became ordained as a Congregational minister in 1932 and regularly taught bible classes at Morningside Congregational Church, Edinburgh. He returned to China in 1925 and served as a missionary teacher. Aside from two furloughs in Scotland, he remained in China until his death in a Ja