Malcolm Yardley

Harold Malcolm Yardley (23 December 1940 – 17 March 2020)[1][2] was a British sprinter. He competed in the men's 400 metres at the 1960 Summer Olympics.[3][4]

Malcolm Yardley
Personal information
Birth nameHarold Malcolm Yardley
NationalityBritish
Born23 December 1940
Oldham, England
Died17 March 2020(2020-03-17) (aged 79)
Sport
SportSprinting
Event(s)400 metres

Biography

Yardley was born in Oldham in 1940 and was raised in Coventry.[5] During World War II, his house was destroyed during the Blitz, with his family moving to Leicester.[5] At school, he played cricket, football and rugby, but excelled at athletics.[1] In 1959, at the age of 18, Yardley made his international debut for Great Britain.[5]

At the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Yardley competed in two events.[6] He was part of the British team that finished fifth in the men's 4 × 400 metres relay,[7] and the men's 400 metres, where he reached the quarter-finals.[8] The following year, along with Adrian Metcalfe, Barry Jackson and Robbie Brightwell, Yardley was part of the number-one ranked 4x400 quartet in the world.[9] However, he missed out on competing at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo and the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City due to injury.[2]

Yardley was part of the Birchfield Harriers,[10] before moving to the Blackburn Harriers,[11] and gaining selection to compete at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh.[2] He competed in the men's 400 metres but did not get out of the heats.[12]

Outside of athletics, Yardley was also the captain and manager of Lowerhouse Cricket Club in Burnley.[4] He had training programmes with several local clubs in the North West of England, including Rochdale, Bury and Blackpool.[4] In the late 1960s, Yardley also set up a sports shop in Burnley, with players from the football team coming along.[1]

Yardley died in March 2020 at the age of 79, following a short illness.[1] At the time of his death, he still held the Blackburn Harriers' records in the 100, 200 and 400 metres.[1] Yardley was remembered at the In Memoriam section of the 2020 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award.[13]

References
  1. "Tribute to former Olympic sprinter Malcolm Yardley, who has passed away aged 79". Burnley Express. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
  2. "Malcolm Yardley". Northern Athletics. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
  3. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Malcolm Yardley Olympic Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
  4. "Malcolm Yardley". Olympedia. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
  5. "Malcolm Yardley". Team GB. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
  6. "Harriers thrower Henton is honoured". Lancashire Telegraph. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
  7. "4 x 400 metres Relay, Men". Olympedia. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
  8. "400 metres, Men". Olympedia. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
  9. "Sad news – Malcolm Yardley". Lower House Cricket Club. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
  10. "The International Athlete". Anent Scottish Running. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
  11. "Remembering Malcolm Yardley". Blackburn Harriers. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
  12. "Athletics 400m - Men Edinburgh 1970". Commonwealth Games Federation. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
  13. "Sports Personality of the Year 2020: Remembering the stars we have lost". BBC Sport. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
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