Peter Hildreth
Encyclopedia
Peter Hildreth was a British
hurdling
athlete. Born in Bedford
, he reached the semi-finals of the 110 metre hurdles at the 1952 Olympic Games
in Helsinki
, finishing 12th. He also represented Britain
at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics
and the 1960 Rome Games
. He won the bronze medal
in the 1950 European Championships
in spite of a poor lane draw on a wet track.
He equalled the British record
for the 110 metre hurdles, with a time of 14.3 seconds, on five occasions.
Following his retirement from athletics, he served as an athletics journalist, writing for the Sunday Telegraph
and commentating on events for BBC Radio
. Hildreth, in July 2008, at age 80 was banned from running up an escalator
in the Elphicks Farnham
department store on safety grounds. Hildreth died on 25 February 2011 at the age of 82.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
hurdling
Hurdling
Hurdling is a type of track and field race.- Distances :There are sprint hurdle races and long hurdle races. The standard sprint hurdle race is 110 meters for men and 100 meters for women. The standard long hurdle race is 400 meters for both men and women...
athlete. Born in Bedford
Bedford
Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town...
, he reached the semi-finals of the 110 metre hurdles at the 1952 Olympic Games
1952 Summer Olympics
The 1952 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Helsinki, Finland in 1952. Helsinki had been earlier given the 1940 Summer Olympics, which were cancelled due to World War II...
in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
, finishing 12th. He also represented Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics
1956 Summer Olympics
The 1956 Melbourne Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in Melbourne, Australia, in 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, which could not be held in Australia due to quarantine regulations...
and the 1960 Rome Games
1960 Summer Olympics
The 1960 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held from August 25 to September 11, 1960 in Rome, Italy...
. He won the bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
in the 1950 European Championships
1950 European Championships in Athletics
The 4th European Athletics Championships were held from 23 August to 27 August 1950 in the Heysel Stadium of the Belgian capital Brussels.-Track:-Field:-Track:-Field:-Medals table:- External links :* *...
in spite of a poor lane draw on a wet track.
He equalled the British record
British records in athletics
British records in athletics are the best performances in athletics events by athletes representing the United Kingdom which are ratified by the Amateur Athletic Association and the British Amateur Athletic Board .-History:...
for the 110 metre hurdles, with a time of 14.3 seconds, on five occasions.
Following his retirement from athletics, he served as an athletics journalist, writing for the Sunday Telegraph
Sunday Telegraph
The Sunday Telegraph is a British broadsheet newspaper, founded in February 1961. It is the sister paper of The Daily Telegraph, but is run separately with a different editorial staff, although there is some cross-usage of stories...
and commentating on events for BBC Radio
BBC Radio
BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. For a history of BBC radio prior to 1927 see British Broadcasting Company...
. Hildreth, in July 2008, at age 80 was banned from running up an escalator
Escalator
An escalator is a moving staircase – a conveyor transport device for carrying people between floors of a building. The device consists of a motor-driven chain of individual, linked steps that move up or down on tracks, allowing the step treads to remain horizontal.Escalators are used around the...
in the Elphicks Farnham
Farnham
Farnham is a town in Surrey, England, within the Borough of Waverley. The town is situated some 42 miles southwest of London in the extreme west of Surrey, adjacent to the border with Hampshire...
department store on safety grounds. Hildreth died on 25 February 2011 at the age of 82.
External links
- Interview from Highgate Harriers