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GREAT BRITAIN by Philip Barker

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GREAT BRITAIN by Philip Barker GREAT BRITAIN by Philip Barker or the British, the Olympic Games in Athens The athletes warmed up with the Spring meet- F in 1906 were a milestone. There had been com- ing of the South London Harriers on the grass at petitors from the British Isles in each of the first the Oval Cricket ground in South London. There, three celebrations but these were the first under Henry HAWTREY and Wyndham HALSWELLE both the aegis and partial funding of the British Olympic won their races before leaving from Victoria station Association (BOA). on the boat train a week before the games.9 The build up to the games had been dominated The Daily Mail included a full page on British by harrowing news from Italy where the Vesuvius prospects and identified HALSWELLE as a key medal volcano erupted. hope. "He will be a hard nut to crack in the 400m." In due course, the Italians would formally with- Others were finding form more elusive and draw from hosting the 1908 games. At the IOC chose to travel out ahead of the main party. meeting in Athens, British representatives were "AR [Arnold Robertson] Churchill has been un- asked if London would be prepared to step in to able to find his form and thinks that perhaps a longer stage them. By the end of the year London was con- sea trip will do him good."10 Unfortunately when the firmed as host city for the IVth Olympiad. time came in the 5 miles event his form was still Britain's Olympic agitators were intimately in- elusive and he failed to even finish. volved in the expedition to Greece. Sir Theodore Andrea COOK wrote a delightful account of the The Cruise of the Branwen games. The Cruise of the Branwen which provides Meanwhile COOK, DESBOROUGH and Sir Cosmo considerable detail on the activities of the British Duff GORDON travelled in style on Sir Howard de team. He relates how the British were first old WALDEN'S yacht "The Branwen". about the games by a member of the Greek diplo- When they reached Athens they were met by l matic core in 1905. other team members at their hotel, and COOK was despatched to the team leaders meeting. Desborough named as team leader Accommodation for the competitors was made William Henry Grenfell, Lord DESBOROUGH, the available at the Zappeion though many chose to first Chairman of the BOA2 was appointed as team stay in living quarters arranged by their own teams leader. At the time fifty years old, the great sporting outside. Even then the problem of athletes compet- all rounder took part in the Fencing competition He ing at different times in the schedule was a live issue was also approached by the foreign office to see if for team managers. COOK himself suggested moor- he would find time to undertake certain diplomatic ing a ship in harbour would be a better solution to duties whilst in Athens.3 A newspaper also wrote accommodation for the British team in future.11 to DESBOROUGH asking him to contribute an article on the Olympic movement.4 The Opening Ceremony Whilst in Athens DESBOROUGH was to be as- King EDWARD VII and his wife Queen ALEXANDRA sisted by an early Olympic attaché Professor travelled to Greece and joined King GEORGE of the Robert BOSANQUET, director of the British School in Hellenes and Queen OLGA for the opening ceremony. 5 Athens. A.E. JOHNSON wrote in the EXPRESS: The Press were bombastic: "The greatest gathering "Athens is these days full to overflowing [...] the the world has ever seen" trumpeted the Daily Mail6 city is a modern tower of Babel. One has seen crowds as large and larger in England but to Preparations compare the dull hues of an English crowd with The Greek organisers made available approximate- extra colours so intense and vivid as that which ly £ 200 for use by the British Olympic authorities gathered in Athens. in travel and expenses and approximately a quar- First came King GEORGE of Greece accompanied ter of this was passed over to the Amateur Athletic by the graceful figure of Queen ALEXANDRA, Association.7 behind King EDWARD VII with the Queen of The BOA helped distribute other funding,8 and Greece."12 British athletes competed in Athletics, Cycling, Both monarchs were dressed in naval uniform The Fencing, Gymnastics, Shooting, Swimming and Queen was still in mourning dress. Diving. In addition they provided members of in- ternational jury. 36 JOURNAL OF OLYMPIC HISTORY 14(DECEMBER 2006)NUMBER 3 The British Team Sir Cosmo - Officials Edmund Duff GORDON Sir Theodore Andrea COOK 1862-1931 1867-1928 Chosen for the British team when An oarsman and fencer who participated in the C. Leaf DANIEL was unable to at- 1906 Games which he chronicled in The Cruise of tend because he was fencing in the Branwen. Paris. Cook became a member of the Organising The Times 28 February 1906 Committee of the 1908 Olympics and is credited Still involved in the fencing cir- as the author of the Official Report. He also edited cuit by the 1908 London Olympic the booklet A response to certain Criticisms which re- Games and later as a judge sponded to the Americans who were unhappy at Sir Cosmo, Edmund Duff Gordon aspects of the 1908 games. Editor of the St. James' Charles Edmund NEWTON ROBINSON Gazette from 1900. Joined the Daily Telegraph in 1901 1853-1913 and became editor of The Field in 1910 and wrote Responsible for the development of Epée fencing in a number of books on Rowing. IOC Member 1909- Britain. Finished 2nd in the first Open Epée tourna- 1915. ment held in the UK and won the strangers prize at the International Championship in Paris and Sir George Stuart ROBERTSON also the Tournoi International in Brussels. The first 1872-1967 Briton to do so. Member of International Jury 1906. Competed in the discus at the 1896 Olympics and also competed Oliver J. BAUSCHER in the tennis tournament. German Gymnastics Society Fencing Athletics Lord Howard de WALDEN Sidney Solomon ABRAHAMS 1889-1946 1885-1978 Born Thomas Evelyn SCOTT Older brother of Harold ABRAHAMS - won his blue ELLIS in 1899 he became 8th at Cambridge in 1904 and competed in 100 y and Lord Howard de WALDEN, Long Jump in Athens. Won the Midlands Long inheriting including Dean Jump in 1910 and 1911 and was selected in that Castle in Kilmarnock, which event at the Stockholm Olympics. Later a distin- he restored. He took a great guished lawyer he was knighted in 1936 and also interest in literary matters, became a Privy Councillor. writing books and plays, us- ing his own money on many William Davidson ANDERSON occasions to stage large scale †1915 productions. He had a keen Irish born he moved to Scotland aged only six Lord Howard interest in music and art and months. Scottish AAAs champion in 1905 he repre- de Walden supported many orchestras sented Britain at 400 m and 800 m in Athens. Killed and artists. Other interests in action during World War II. included horse racing, as owner and breeder, in the week of the Athens games he won the Craven Stephen Henry CARNELLY Stakes at Newmarket and fencing which he pur- 1880-c1936 sued to international level and became a collector Born in Scotland he was educated at Rugby School of swords, weapons and armour which are now and Exeter College Oxford. He won his blue at housed within Dean Castle. Cross Country in 1905 and also appeared in the 3 miles. He left University without taking a degree Edgar SELIGMAN but joined the Colonial service serving in the Malay 1867-1958 states, the Gold Coast and Kenya as a senior magis- Former amateur champion at both Foil and Epée, trate. It is thought that he died around 1936. the only man to win the British championship at all three weapons twice. Also a talented artist. Arnold CHURCHILL His Olympic career was a long one - his last ap- 1883-1975 pearance came in 1924. Caius College Cambridge. Won 3 miles for Cambridge University in 1904, and won the University Cross Country Championship in 1903 JOURNAL OF OLYMPIC HISTORY 14(DECEMBER 2006)NUMBER 3 37 and 1904. Out of form at the time of the Athens Alfred Hearn HEALEY games. He qualified as a barrister and returned to 1879-1960 his legal practice after serving in the war. Lincolnshire born he won the silver in the 110 m hurdles. Represented Britain at the 1908 London Joseph Norman CORMACK Olympics where he failed by a foot to qualify for An Anglo Scot, he began as a middle distance run- the final. Also an accomplished sprinter who won ner and won the Scottish AAAs 880 yds title in 1902. Northern Championships over the sprints as well Emigrated to South Africa in 1903 and returned to as the hurdles. Europe after winning a 25 mile race to take part in the 1906 marathon. In his entry for the marathon in John William HORNE 1906 he was listed as Transvaal, Scottish AAAs and *1877 London AC. He was the last of the runners to finish. Pembroke College Cambridge. Born at Dudley in Worcestershire, he was the Midland counties Reginald Percy CRABBE 440 yds champion in 1904. Entered 400 m and 1883-1964 800 m in Athens but failed to qualify in either. Corpus Christi Cambridge University. 2nd over 880 yds in the 1905 AAAs championship, he rep- John MCGOUGH resented Great Britain in both 800 m and 1500 m in 1877-1967 Athens reaching the finals of both.
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