Shirburnians & the Olympic Games

olympic-ringsSherborne School has a proud Olympic heritage dating back to the Games of the IV Olympiad in 1908.

To date, seven Olympic medals have been won by Shirburnians and members of staff – one gold medal, one silver medal, and five bronze medals.

Shirburnians and members of staff who have competed in the Olympic Games:

1908 Olympic Games (London)

1924 Olympic Games (Paris)

1928 Olympic Games (Amsterdam)

1936 Olympic Games (Berlin)

1948 Olympic Games (London)

Alan Turing (Westcott House 1926-1931) had hoped to qualify for the men’s marathon at the 1948 London Olympic Games but was prevented from doing so because he contracted fibrositis the previous January. However, he did take two of his nieces to watch the Games. The men’s marathon that year was won by Delfo Cabrera of Argentina with a time of 2:34:51.6. Find out about Alan Turing’s Sporting Life

1952 Olympic Games (Helsinki)

1956 Olympic Games (Melbourne)

1960 Olympic Games (Rome)

1964 Olympic Games (Tokyo)

1968 Olympic Games (Mexico)

  • Adrian Jardine (Lyon House 1947-1950) – GB: Sailing team Mixed 5.5 metre class (with Robin Aisher & Paul Anderson). Bronze medal.
  • Stuart Jardine (Lyon House 1947-1950) – GB: Sailing team Mixed Two Person Keelboat, Open (with James Ramus). 10th.

1972 Olympic Games (Munich)

1988 Olympic Games (Calgary)

1992 Olympic Games (Barcelona)

  • Robert William Hill (Assistant Director of Sport, Sherborne School 2003-2013) – GB: Men’s Field Hockey team. (6th)

2012 Olympic Games (London)

In other capacities, Lieut.-Col. Oliver Geoffrey Woodhouse White (School House 1924-1928) organised the Modern Pentathlon events for the 1948 London Olympic Games and was team manager of the British Pentathlon team at the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games; the Rev. Andrew Richard Wingfield Digby (Westcott House 1964-1969) served as official chaplain at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games, the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, and the 2012 London Olympic Games; and Nicholas John Wingfield Digby (Westcott House 1962-1967) served as official veterinary surgeon at the 2012 London Olympic Games; and The Velodrome for the 2012 London Olympic Games was designed by Sir Michael Hopkins (Westcott House 1948-1952).

See also:

For further information about the Sherborne School Archives please contact the School Archivist

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