A century after Olympic Gold, sprinter's legend surpasses his sport

Immortalized in the 1981 film Chariots of fire, Eric Liddell's Olympic glory in 1924 is ingrained in the annals of British Athletics.

But on the 100^th anniversary of his great success, it is the sprinter's links to China which are being remembered.

The country where he was born and died celebrates Liddell not only as a sportsman but also as a humanitarian, a teacher and even a war hero.

PARIS OLYMPIC STAR

Liddell was born on 16th January,1902 in Tianjin, North China, the son of missionaries from the London Mission Society.

Around the age of six he was sent to the UK to boarding school and subsequently attended Edinburgh University where he gained a reputation as the fastest man in Scotland.

His speed also led him to represent Scotland at rugby. He played seven times and scored tries in four successive matches.

Selected to participate the in the 1924 Olympics, Liddell would have been among the favorites for the showcase 100 meter dash. But, as a devout Christian, he dropped out of the event because the qualifying heats were scheduled for a Sunday. Instead, he switched to the 200 and 400-meter sprints.

At the Games, despite being drawn in the challenging outside line against a powerful field, he triumphed in the 400-meters in an Olympic and World Record time of 47.6 seconds. He also claimed a bronze medal in the 200 meters.

LIDDELL AND CHINA

After the Olympics, Liddell turned down the opportunity of a sporting career in the UK and returned to China to pursue his parents' vocation as a missionary. His first job was as a teacher at an Anglo-Chinese College where he used his athletic experience to train boys in a number of different sports. He set up football, basketball, softball, baseball, ping pong, tennis and volleyball teams in Tianjin.

During his time in the city, Liddell also helped build the Minyuan Stadium in Tianjin which was modelled on London's Stamford Bridge, his favourite sports ground. The stadium became one of the leading multi-disciplinary sports venues in Asia.

When in 1936, China formed its first Olympic delegation to participate in the Berlin Olympics, Liddell was appointed as the chief coach.

By 1941, life in China had become so dangerous because of the threat from the invading Japanese that the British government advised its nationals to leave. 

Liddell, however, refused and instead joined up with his brother, serving as a doctor at a village in Hebei, North China. There he offered medical treatment to locals suffering from the hardships of a country under attack.

And even after his capture and internment at the Weixian prisoner camp (now in East China's Weifang city), Liddell took on a leadership role helping the elderly and infirm and teaching science to children.

He died on 21 February 1945, five months before liberation, suffering from a brain tumor, overwork, and malnourishment.

CONNECTING BRITAIN AND CHINA

Liddell was buried in the garden behind the Japanese officers' quarters and the site was forgotten until it was rediscovered in 1989.

The prisoner-of-war camp is now a place of learning for 2,000 Chinese teenagers.

In 1988, a granite marker was erected above the grave containing a short biography in English and Chinese, and a quotation from Isaiah:

"They shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary."

A statue of Liddell was added in 2015.

The Eric Liddell Community, a care charity and community hub, was set up in Edinburgh in 1980 to provide key services to people living with dementia and their carers. While in China's Weifang, a museum was also established to commemorate him. 

He also has a footpath named for him in Edinburgh's Bruntsfield Links.

You can donate to support the Eric Liddell Community here.

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