Alan Patterson (athlete)
Alan Patterson (12 March 1886 – 14 March 1916) was a British track and field athlete who specialised in the 400 metres and 800 metres. He ran for the Sheffield United Harriers and the Salford Harriers, and competed in the 1908 and 1912 Summer Olympics.
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | British |
| Born | 12 March 1886 Deal, Kent |
| Died | 14 March 1916 (aged 30) Vermelles, Pas-de-Calais |
| Resting place | Fosse 7 Military Cemetery |
| Sport | |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sport | Athletics |
| Event(s) | 400m/800m |
| Club | Sheffield United Harriers |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Olympic finals | 1908 and 1912 |
Background
Patterson was born in Deal, Kent.[1]
Army career
Patterson was a lieutenant and then captain in the British Army. Between the 1908 and 1912 Olympics he served in India.[2]
Sports
Patterson ran for the Sheffield United Harriers, and later the Salford Harriers, and competed at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London and at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm.[3][4]
In the 400 metres event in 1908, Patterson took second place in his preliminary heat with a time of 50.6 seconds to winner John Atlee's 50.4 seconds. Due to his loss, Patterson did not advance to the semifinals.
Four years later he was eliminated in the first round of the 400 metres competition as well as of the 800 metres event.
Death
Patterson was killed in action aged 30 during the First World War in Vermelles, Pas-de-Calais, serving as a captain with the Royal Artillery near Mazingarbe.[5] He is buried at the Fosse 7 Military Cemetery nearby.[6]
References
- "Alan Patterson". Olympedia. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
- Captain Alan Patterson and Sheffield Connections, Sheffield Daily Telegraph, 25 March 1916
- "Alan Patterson". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
- Captain Alan Patterson and Sheffield Connections, Sheffield Daily Telegraph, 25 March 1916
- "Olympians Who Were Killed or Missing in Action or Died as a Result of War". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
- Patterson, Alan, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Retrieved 14 September 2008
External links
Media related to Alan Patterson (athlete) at Wikimedia Commons
- Cook, Theodore Andrea (1908). The Fourth Olympiad, Being the Official Report. London: British Olympic Association.
- De Wael, Herman (2001). "Athletics 1908". Herman's Full Olympians. Archived from the original on 27 September 2006. Retrieved 25 July 2006.
- Wudarski, Pawel (1999). "Wyniki Igrzysk Olimpijskich" (in Polish). Archived from the original on 14 June 2006. Retrieved 25 July 2006.
- Alan Patterson. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-10-18.
- "Death of Capt. Alan Patterson, a capable officer and fine athlete". Deal, Walmer & Sandwich Mercury. British Newspaper Archive. 25 March 1916. p. 5 col.5. Retrieved 25 August 2022. (Obituary of Patterson)
- "Capt. Alan Patterson, who is reported killed". Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News. British Newspaper Archive. 1 April 1916. p. 5 cols 1-2. Retrieved 25 August 2022. (Obituary of Patterson)