George Butterfield (athlete)

George Butterfield (1879 – 24 September 1917) was a British athlete running for Darlington Harriers. He ran the world's fastest mile in 1906, and competed at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London.[1]

Born in Stockton on Tees,[2] Butterfield came in second in his semifinal heat in the 800 metres with a time of 1:58.9.[3] His finish, while behind Ödön Bodor's, was ahead of defending champion James Lightbody's. Butterfield did not advance to the final.

He also competed in the 1500 metres, placing third in his initial semifinal heat and not advancing to the final. Butterfield's time was 4:11.8; Mel Sheppard had set a new Olympic record at 4:05.0 in winning the heat and eliminating Butterfield and the other five runners.

Butterfield was killed in action during the First World War,[4] serving as a private with the Royal Garrison Artillery. He was buried in the Birr Cross Roads Cemetery.[5]

His obituary in the Northern Despatch recorded that he had once raced against a greyhound. The dog came second.[3]

See also

References
  1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 3 February 2011. Retrieved 7 February 2016.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. George Butterfield Archived 1 August 2015 at the Wayback Machine. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2015-01-19.
  3. http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/archive/2006/03/07/The+North+East+Archive/7158369.Gap_in_the_Wall_filled_at_last/
  4. "Olympians Who Were Killed or Missing in Action or Died as a Result of War". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 7 November 2014. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  5. Butterfield, G, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Retrieved 28 September 2008
  • 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. Retrieved 27 July 2006.
  • Wudarski, Pawel (1999). "Wyniki Igrzysk Olimpijskich" (in Polish). Archived from the original on 16 February 2009. Retrieved 27 July 2006.



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