Phil Edwards (athlete)

Phil Edwards (actually: Philip Aaron Edwards; * September 13, 1907 in Georgetown, Guyana, † September 6, 1971 in Montreal, Quebec ) was a Canadian athlete who as a runner and over 400, 800 in the late 1920s and early 1930s 1500 m was successful. The 1.76 meter tall and 64 kg mulatto started for the McGill University. He participated in three Olympic Games and won five bronze medals.

Phil Edwards emigrated first to the United States and enrolled in 1926 at the University of New York. Although he set multiple university records, he was not included in the U.S. Olympic Team. He then received by Melville Robinson, founder of the British Empire Games and manager of the Canadian Olympic team, an invitation to start for Canada. He moved to Canada and became a student at McGill University, where he served as Chief of Athletics teams 1931-1936. In the British Empire Games, however, he took up for his home country of Guyana.

After his athletic career, Phil Edwards made ​​himself as a specialist in tropical diseases a name.

Achievements

400 m

About this track Phil Edwards competed in the 1928 Olympics in Amsterdam. He came to the semifinals, where he was in 50.2 s sixth and last, after the quarter-finals still won with 49.2 s. By this time he would, however, also eliminated in the semifinals and in the finals came to the last place.

Also in 1930 at the Empire Games in Hamilton, he had over the quarter mile (440 y) no luck. He already dropped out in the flow.

800 m

Far better it ran for Edwards over the middle distance. At the Olympic Games in Amsterdam in 1928, he scored in the semifinal 1:52,8 min, a time with which he would have been in the finals in second place. There, however, he had to in 1:54,0 min with the fourth place behind the German Hermann Engelhard (Bronze in 1:53,8 min) content.

Four years later at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles, he rose to 1:51,5 min and with that came behind the British Tommy Hampson ( gold in a world record time of 1:49,7 min) and his compatriot Alex Wilson ( silver in 1: 49.9 min) in third place.

Once again four years later at the 1936 Games in Berlin, he was represented for the third time in a 800 m final. In 1:53,6 min he handed although at the time of Los Angeles does not zoom, but again came in third place behind John Woodruff from the U.S. ( Gold in 1:52,9 min ) and the Italian Mario Lanzi ( silver in 1: 53.3 min).

Edwards stepped up to about half a mile ( 880 y) Also at the British Empire Games in Hamilton in 1930 and 1934 in London. In 1930, he was fifth in 1934 he won the gold medal 1:54,2 min.

1500 m

About 1500 m went Edwards 1932 in Los Angeles and 1936 in Berlin at the start. In Los Angeles he had initially lucky when he barely qualified min with moderate 4:03,5 for the final. There, however, an increase of almost ten seconds ( 3:52,8 min), which won the bronze medal behind the Italian Luigi Beccali ( gold in 3:51,2 min ) and the British John Cornes he succeeded ( silver in 3: 52.6 min) meant.

In Berlin Edwards even improved on 3:50,4 min. However, this time only enough for fifth place ( it won the New Zealander Jack Lovelock in a world record time of 3:47,8 min). In the British Empire Games he met twice - 1930 and 1934 - over the mile on, but did not come into the medals.

4 x 400 m

In the Canadian 4 × 400 m relay Edwards was at the games in 1928, 1932 and 1936, the Canadian team, but without ever be -cage rotor. For this he was in 1936 the only runner who was left out of the team from 1928. While in 1936 with a fourth place medal was narrowly missed, the Canadian team in 1928, 3:15,4 min ( Alex Wilson, Edwards, Stanley Glover and James Ball) and 1932 in 3:12,8 min ( Ray Lewis, James ball, Edwards and Wilson) respectively on the third place.

As a personal best of Phil Edwards be specified:

  • 49.1 s over 400 m
  • 1:50,6 min above 1500 m ( run 1932)
  • 3:50,4 min above 1500 m ( run 1936)

Awards

  • In 1936, Phil Edwards became the first carrier of the Lou Marsh Trophy.
  • In 1997, he was inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame and in the McGill University Sports Hall of Fame.
  • In 1972, the Phil A. Edwards Memorial Trophy was donated, the award presented for outstanding achievements in athletics.

Link

  • Phil Edwards at Sports- Reference.com (English)
  • Middle distance runner
  • Sprinter
  • Athlete (Canada)
  • Olympian (Canada)
  • Born 1907
  • Died in 1971
  • Man
4 × 400 metres relay Georgetown (Guyana) 400 metres 1930 British Empire Games Alex Wilson (Canadian sprinter) 1934 British Empire Games Jimmy Ball Ray Lewis (track and field athlete)
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