Charles Gmelin
Encyclopedia
Charles Henry Stuart Gmelin (28 May 1872 in Krishnagar
, India
– October 12, 1950 in Oxford
) was a British
athlete. He competed at the 1896 Summer Olympics
in Athens
.
, India
, where his father was a Christian missionary, but returned to England
at an early age for schooling.
He was educated at Magdalene College School and Keble College
. After graduating he took holy orders and later become headmaster of Freshfields School in Oxford. Gmelin was an all round sportsman who represented Oxfordshire
at both football and cricket.
athlete to compete in Olympic competition when he finished third in the inaugural heat of the 100 metres. He did not advance to the final.
He was more successful in the 400 metres where he finished second behind Thomas Burke of the United States in his preliminary heat. This qualified him for the final, where he placed third behind the United States pairing of Burke and Herbert Jamison
in a time of 55.6 seconds. For many years the German runner Fritz Hofmann was incorrectly listed as placing ahead of Gmelin.
Although no awards were made for third place in the 1896 Summer Olympics
he is usually credited as a bronze medal
winner.
Krishnagar
Krishnanagar is a municipality and administrative headquarters of Nadia district in the Indian state of West Bengal.-Geography:Krishnanagar is located at . It has an average elevation of 14 metres...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
– October 12, 1950 in Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
) was a British
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
athlete. He competed at the 1896 Summer Olympics
1896 Summer Olympics
The 1896 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the I Olympiad, was a multi-sport event celebrated in Athens, Greece, from April 6 to April 15, 1896. It was the first international Olympic Games held in the Modern era...
in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
.
Personal life
Gmelin was born in BengalBengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, where his father was a Christian missionary, but returned to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
at an early age for schooling.
He was educated at Magdalene College School and Keble College
Keble College, Oxford
Keble College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its main buildings are on Parks Road, opposite the University Museum and the University Parks. The college is bordered to the north by Keble Road, to the south by Museum Road, and to the west by Blackhall...
. After graduating he took holy orders and later become headmaster of Freshfields School in Oxford. Gmelin was an all round sportsman who represented Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
at both football and cricket.
Olympic Record
He had the distinction of being the first BritishUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
athlete to compete in Olympic competition when he finished third in the inaugural heat of the 100 metres. He did not advance to the final.
He was more successful in the 400 metres where he finished second behind Thomas Burke of the United States in his preliminary heat. This qualified him for the final, where he placed third behind the United States pairing of Burke and Herbert Jamison
Herbert Jamison
Herbert Jamison was an American track and field athlete. He competed at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens....
in a time of 55.6 seconds. For many years the German runner Fritz Hofmann was incorrectly listed as placing ahead of Gmelin.
Although no awards were made for third place in the 1896 Summer Olympics
1896 Summer Olympics
The 1896 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the I Olympiad, was a multi-sport event celebrated in Athens, Greece, from April 6 to April 15, 1896. It was the first international Olympic Games held in the Modern era...
he is usually credited as a 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...
winner.