| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | British (English) |
| Born | 10 August 1921 Nottingham, England |
| Died | 29 July 1997 (aged 75) Cheltenham, England |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Athletics |
Event | Sprints |
| Club | Notts AC |
Medal record | |
John Archer (10 August 1921 – 29 July 1997) was an English athlete who competed mainly in the 100 metres and competed at the1948 Summer Olympics.[1]
Archer was born inNottingham, England and grew up at 24 North Gate inNew Basford. He attended the High Pavement Grammar School. He would later return to the High Pavement school on Friday 19 November 1948 for a presentation from the Lord Mayor, for his Olympic success.[2] He was a Wellington bomber pilot inWorld War II, becoming a Flt Lt and taught Physical Education at his old school.[3] His county 100 metres record of 10.6 seconds lasted until August 1996, whenCori Henry ran 10.5 secs in Dudley.[4]
Archer finished second behindMcDonald Bailey in both the 100 and 220 yards events at the1946 AAA Championships[5][6] and the following month at the1946 European Athletics Championships in Oslo, he won the European Athletics championships100 metres with a consistent time of 10.6 seconds through the heats and in the final. He broke his leg playing rugby around late 1946.
Archer represented theGreat Britain team at the 1948 Olympic Games in London, in themen's 4 × 100 metres relay, where he won the silver medal with his teammatesJohn Gregory,Alastair McCorquodale andKen Jones.[7] The British team were initially awarded the gold medal after the USA team were disqualified for a faulty baton change but, two days later, following a review, they had to hand the gold medals back and were awarded the silver medal in a second ceremony.
Archer finished finished third behind McDonald Bailey in the 100 yards event at the1949 AAA Championships[8][9] and the following year representedEngland and won a silver medal in the 4 × 110 yd relay at the1950 British Empire Games inAuckland, New Zealand.[10][11]
Later that year after the 1950 British Empire Games, he was married by Canon J Lowndes at C of ESt Leodegarius Church, Basford to Josephine Dorothy Hateley of 159 Park Road in Loughborough, a former art student of Loughborough College.[12][13] He trained as a PE teacher at Loughborough College in 1950. He also played rugby for the Notts, Lincs and Derbys team. For many years he was the principal of St Paul's College of Education inCheltenham, later theUniversity of Gloucestershire.
His sister was Dorothy Cooke of Tring Vale in Sherwood. Josephine and John had son Paul, a teacher, and daughter Lorna, a doctor.[14]
Archer died inCheltenham,Gloucestershire in 1997.
European Athletics Championships champions in men's100 metres | |
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