James Wilson at the 1920 Olympics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Born | 2 October 1891 Windsor, Berkshire, England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Died | 1973 (aged c. 81) London Borough of Brent, Great Britain | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 60 kg (132 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sport | Athletics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Event | 10,000 m | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Club | Greenock Glenpark Harriers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Achievements and titles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal best(s) | Mile – 4:28.0 (1915) 4 miles – 20:22.4 (1920) 6 miles – 30:45.0 (1920) 10,000 m – 31:50.8 (1920) 10 miles – 52:04.4 (1920) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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James Wilson (2 October 1891 – 1973) was a Scottish long-distance runner who specialised in the 10,000 metres. He competed for Great Britain at the 1920 Summer Olympics and won a bronze medal in the 10,000 metres, five seconds behind Paavo Nurmi; Wilson beat Nurmi by some 5 seconds in the heats. He finished fourth in the individual 8,000 m cross-country race, again behind Nurmi, but won a silver medal with the British team. Nationally Wilson won Scottish titles over 4 miles in 1914–20 and over 10 miles in 1920.
James and his twin brother John were the youngest of five children of Isabella and Robert Wilson, Scottish migrant workers in England. His father was a herdsman from Aberdeenshire. James and John were inspired to join the local athletics club by watching the 1908 Olympic marathon race that passed nearby their home. Later, when World War I broke out, John enlisted to the army and died from peritonitis in 1916, while James stayed at home earning his living as a metalworker. After the 1920 Olympics he found a job as mechanical engineer at the Neasden Power Station, which provided electricity to the Metropolitan Railways, and semi-retired from running. He resumed competing in 1923, when he joined Surrey Athletic Club, but never regained his past shape and retired for good in 1925.
Wilson was married to Annie Williams. He died from a bowel cancer aged 81–82.
References
- ^ James Wilson. anentscottishrunning.com. 13 August 2013
- ^ James Wilson Archived 6 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine. sports-reference.com
- James Wilson. trackfield.brinkster.net
- "James Wilson". Olympedia. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
Men's champions of the International Cross Country Championships | |
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Short course |
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Unofficial race |
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- 1891 births
- 1973 deaths
- Sportspeople from Greenock
- Scottish Olympic competitors
- Scottish male long-distance runners
- British male long-distance runners
- English male long-distance runners
- Olympic athletes for Great Britain
- Olympic silver medallists for Great Britain
- Olympic bronze medallists for Great Britain
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1920 Summer Olympics
- International Cross Country Championships winners
- Medalists at the 1920 Summer Olympics
- Olympic silver medalists in athletics (track and field)
- Olympic bronze medalists in athletics (track and field)
- Olympic cross country runners
- Sportspeople from Windsor, Berkshire
- 20th-century English sportsmen
- 20th-century Scottish sportsmen
- Scottish Olympic medallist stubs
- British athletics Olympic medallist stubs
- Scottish athletics biography stubs