Charles Bennett (athlete)

Charles Bennett ( 1900)

Charles Bennett ( born December 28, 1870 in Shapwick (Dorset), England; † 13 December 1948 in Bournemouth ( Dorset), England ) was a British track and field athlete and Olympic champion. By profession he was an engine driver. Sporty, he was one of the best athletes in the middle distance of his time.

Career

1897 Bennett won in the championships of the Amateur Athletic Association (AAA ), which corresponded to the British Championships, the race over four miles. He repeated this success in 1898 and again 1899. During the year he won two more titles than ten miles and in cross-country running. 1900 was his most successful athletic year. It began with the regained the title in cross country and over 1 mile.

At the Olympic Games in Paris in 1900, he was two -time Olympic champion. His first victory came on July 15 in the 1500 meter race, ahead of Frenchman Henri Deloge and the American John Bray. He ended that run with a world record time of 4:06,0 minutes. He was the first British Olympic champion in athletics.

In the further course of the games he won in Joint British- Australian team another gold medal in the 5,000 -meter team running, along with his teammate John Rimmer, Sidney Robinson, Alfred Tysoe and the Australian Stan Rowley, before the team from France. This run in which all runners a team together went to the start and the team title was decided on the place number, Bennett won with 15:20,0 minutes, which he set his second world record at the games.

Placements at the Olympic Games:

• II Summer Olympic Games in 1900, Paris 1500 m - gold with 4:06,2 min ( to Henri silver Deloge from France with 4:06,6 min; bronze at John Bray from the USA with 4:07,2 min)
• 5000 m team - gold in the mixed team ( silver to France )
• 4000 m steeplechase - Silver with 12:58,6 min ( Gold to John Rimmer from the United Kingdom with 12:58,4 min; Bronze Sidney Robinson from the UK with 12:58,8 min)

Note: With the exception of the time of the winner, transit times are estimated, as there was no time measurement for the runners. For them, the residue was found on the winner or pre-placed with a length specification.

There are no useful biographical records of Charles Bennett after the Games of Paris. His date of death is wrong, however, published in most publications with the March 9, 1949, as the grave stone shows in the cemetery in Kinson (district of Bournemouth ).