Harold A. Wilson
Encyclopedia
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...
athlete. Born in Horncastle, Lincolnshire, England, he won the silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
in the men's 1500 metres
Athletics at the 1908 Summer Olympics - Men's 1500 metres
The men's 1500 metres was an Olympic event for the fourth times at the 1908 Summer Olympics. The competition was held on July 13, 1908 and on July 14, 1908. The races were held on a track of 536.45 metres= mile in circumference...
race at the 1908 Summer Olympics
1908 Summer Olympics
The 1908 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the IV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in 1908 in London, England, United Kingdom. These games were originally scheduled to be held in Rome. At the time they were the fifth modern Olympic games...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, competing on the Great Britain and Ireland
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....
team. He was a member of the Hallamshire Harriers and the Irish American Athletic Club
Irish American Athletic Club
The Irish American Athletic Club was an amateur athletic organization, based in Queens, New York at the beginning of the 20th Century.-Early years:...
.
He was the first man to run a sub four minute 1,500m, with a time of 3:59.8 in 1905.
In the 1908 Olympic Games Wilson won his semifinal in the 1500 with a time of 4:11.4; his time in the final was 4:03.6, fractions of a second behind America's premier runner of the day, Melvin Sheppard of the Irish American Athletic Club
Irish American Athletic Club
The Irish American Athletic Club was an amateur athletic organization, based in Queens, New York at the beginning of the 20th Century.-Early years:...
, with a time of 4:03.4. "Wilson won a trial heat in fast time, but in the final had to bow to the superior speed of America's premier runner, Melvin Sheppard, and in this event forced him to break the record for the distance to win."
The following year, Wilson was in Queens, New York, competing alongside Sheppard wearing the Winged Fist of the Irish American Athletic Club
Irish American Athletic Club
The Irish American Athletic Club was an amateur athletic organization, based in Queens, New York at the beginning of the 20th Century.-Early years:...
. He competed in the U.S. during the 1909 outdoor season, and was considered one of the best mile runners in competition. In 1909 he turned professional and met with a certain amount of success in Canada and South Africa.
He died in France in 1916.