Eric Liddell Scottish athlete and missionary. Date of Birth: 16.01.1902 Country: China

Biography of Eric Liddell

Eric Henry Liddell was a Scottish athlete and missionary. He is known for his involvement in a unique incident where his participation in his favorite race was hindered by religious considerations. On October 5th, there will be a documentary film about him entitled "Chariots of Fire". Liddell was born and died in China, so Chinese sources sometimes refer to him as a Chinese athlete, attributing impressive sporting achievements to him in the country. However, Liddell became famous not only for his athletic prowess, but also for his missionary work.

Liddell was born in Tientsin, China, to Scottish missionaries. At the age of 5, he attended a local school, and at 6, he and his older brother were sent to England to study at a special school for missionary children. Later, Liddell's parents returned to China with his sister Jenny.

Even in school, Liddell demonstrated exceptional athletic talents. He participated in various local competitions and even won the "Blackheath Cup" at the age of 15, which recognized him as the best athlete of the year. Liddell later became the captain of the cricket and rugby teams. Despite his success, he remained remarkably humble and showed no signs of vanity. Liddell also excelled in his studies and was a devout Christian.

In 1920, Liddell enrolled at the University of Edinburgh. He continued to participate in sports and achieved outstanding results. He graduated from university in 1924 with a bachelor's degree.

In 1924, the Summer Olympics took place in Paris. Liddell was eager to compete in the 100-meter race, but his plans were hindered by the scheduling conflict with his religious beliefs. The race was scheduled on a Sunday, and Liddell could not participate. He made this decision long before the Games, as the schedule was published several months in advance. As a result, Liddell focused on preparing for the 400-meter race, which was a new distance for him.

The transition to the new distance posed a challenge for Liddell, as the 400 meters was considered too long for a sprinter. However, he managed to maintain sprinter's speed for the first 200 meters of the race and didn't slow down afterwards. Liddell won the race, setting new Olympic and world records. A few days earlier, he also won the bronze medal in the 200-meter race.

Liddell continued to compete in various major competitions and improved his own records in several disciplines. In 1925, he returned to northern China and became a missionary like his parents. He initially worked in Tientsin and then moved to Xiaozhang. The place where Liddell settled was extremely poor and had suffered greatly during civil wars and conflicts with the Japanese. Despite his missionary duties, Liddell found time for sports. In 1928, he defeated members of the French and Japanese Olympic teams in the 200-meter and 400-meter races. In 1930, Liddell won the North China Championship.

Liddell visited Scotland twice in his lifetime, in 1932 and 1939. He was asked if he regretted leaving the world of competitive sports, but it seemed that his new life as a missionary suited him well. In 1934, Liddell married Florence Mackenzie, the daughter of Canadian missionaries. They had three daughters, although Liddell never saw the youngest.

In 1941, life in China became very dangerous due to Japanese aggression, and the British government began evacuating British citizens from the country. Florence and the children fled to Canada, but Liddell chose to stay in China and became a missionary in rural areas. However, the war continued to disrupt life in the country, and Liddell eventually had to return to Tientsin. In 1943, he was interned in a camp where he quickly became an informal leader, ensuring that the needy had food and medicine.

The constant dangers and stresses took a toll on Liddell's health, and it was later discovered that he had a brain tumor. On February 21st, 1945, five months before the camp was liberated, Liddell passed away.