Charles Henry Stuart Gmelin (28 May 1872 – 12 October 1950) was a British athlete. He competed at the 1896 Summer Olympics in

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Personal life

Gmelin was born in Krishnanagar Nadia, in

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, where his father Frederick Gmelin was a Christian missionary. Gmelin returned to

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at an early age for schooling. He was educated at Magdalen College School and Keble College, Oxford. After graduating he took holy orders and later become headmaster of Freshfields School in Oxford, he eventually became curate in Summertown, Oxford and

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in Oxfordshire. Gmelin was an all-round sportsman who represented Oxfordshire at both football and in cricket where he competed in the Minor Counties Championship from 1895 to 1906. In August 1904 Gmelin married Hester Royds in

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. He died on 12 October 1950 at Cowley Road Hospital

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, aged 78, his wife Hester Mary Alington Royds died in April the following year.

Olympic record

He had the distinction of being the first

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athlete to compete in Olympic competition when he finished third in the inaugural heat of the 100 metres. He did not advance to the final. He was more successful in the 400 metres where he finished second behind Thomas Burke of the United States in his preliminary heat. This qualified him for the final, where he placed third behind the United States pairing of Burke and

Herbert Jamison Herbert Brotherson Jamison (September 17, 1875 – June 22, 1938) was an American sprinter who won a silver medal in the 400 m at the 1896 Summer Olympics. His favorite event, 200 m, was not yet part of the Olympics. In 1897 Jamison graduated fr ...

in an estimated time of 55.6 seconds. For many years the German runner Fritz Hofmann was incorrectly listed as placing ahead of Gmelin. Although no awards were made for third place in the 1896 Summer Olympics he is credited by the

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as a bronze medal winner. As per the record he was the first man to win a medal for Great Britain at a modern Olympics.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gmelin, Charles 1872 births 1950 deaths English male sprinters British male sprinters Olympic athletes of Great Britain Athletes (track and field) at the 1896 Summer Olympics 19th-century sportsmen People educated at Magdalen College School, Oxford Alumni of Keble College, Oxford Olympic bronze medallists for Great Britain People from Krishnagar Medalists at the 1896 Summer Olympics Olympic bronze medalists in athletics (track and field) English cricketers Oxfordshire cricketers