Cyril Hillyard Coaffee (February 14, 1897 – July 3, 1945) was a Canadian

track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...

athlete. Born in

Edmonton Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...

, Greater London UK, Coaffee tied

Charlie Paddock Charles William Paddock (August 11, 1900 – July 21, 1943) was an American athlete and two time Olympic champion. Biography Paddock was born in Gainesville, Texas to Charles H. and Lulu (Robinson) Paddock. His family moved to Pasadena, Cal ...

's world record for the 100 yard dash at the 1922 Canadian championships. He also competed at the

1920 Events January * January 1 ** Polish–Soviet War in 1920: The Russian Red Army increases its troops along the Polish border from 4 divisions to 20. ** Kauniainen, completely surrounded by the city of Espoo, secedes from Espoo as its own ma ...

and

1924 Summer Olympics The 1924 Summer Olympics (french: Jeux olympiques d'été de 1924), officially the Games of the VIII Olympiad (french: Jeux de la VIIIe olympiade) and also known as Paris 1924, were an international multi-sport event held in Paris, France. The op ...

Life

In 1905, Coaffee emigrated from

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...

to Canada.Profile on sports-reference.com
Retrieved 2-23-2015 His athletic career then began in 1915 at the ''North End Amateur Athletic Club''. Five years later he won the Canadian trials for the

1920 Olympic Games The 1920 Summer Olympics (french: Jeux olympiques d'été de 1920; nl, Olympische Zomerspelen van 1920; german: Olympische Sommerspiele 1920), officially known as the Games of the VII Olympiad (french: Jeux de la VIIe olympiade; nl, Spelen van ...

Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,

for the 100 meter dash with a time of 11.2 seconds. However, his country's Olympic team was initially not taken into account due to budget concerns, but a fundraiser hosted by the Duke of Winnipeg allowed him to participate.Profile on halloffame.mb.ca
Retrieved 2-23-2015 In Antwerp, Coaffee started in the 100 meters and 200 meters. In both disciplines he was third in his runnings and neither qualified him for the later races. In 1922 at the Canadian Championships, he set the world record for the 100 yard dash, beating the record of

with a time of 9.6 seconds. At the same event, he also won the 220 yard event. In October 1922, he then set a new Canadian Record for the 4 by 220 yard relay race, together with Laurie Armstrong, Billy Miller and Peavey Heffelfinger. In 1924 he was captain of the Canadian delegation to the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris. In his 100-meter and 200 meter single runs as well as in the 4 by 100 meter relay he remained until the finals in each event. In 1926 and 1927, just as in 1922, he was decisive in the 100 and 220 yard events in the Canadian Championships. At this event, he was victorious over other Olympic champions, such as Percy Williams.Profile on sportshall.ca
Retrieved 2-23-2015 At the Canadian qualifiers for the

1928 Olympic Games 1928 Olympics may refer to: *The 1928 Winter Olympics, which were held in St. Moritz, Switzerland *The 1928 Summer Olympics, which were held in Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most po ...

he suffered from a tendon irritation in both legs and missed the qualification. His non-attendance at the

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...

games signaled the end of Coaffee's athletic career. In 1945, he died of a heart attack at the age of 48.

Running Style

Coaffee suffered from a partial paralysis in his arm. Due to this, he ran with a strong template, so that it gave the impression that his legs were shooting out from under him.

Honours

* 1956 Admission to the

Canada's Sports Hall of Fame Canada's Sports Hall of Fame (french: Panthéon des sports canadiens; sometimes referred to as the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame) is a Canadian sports hall of fame and museum in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Dedicated to the history of sports in Canad ...

* 1960 Admission to the

Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame The Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame is an honour roll of the top Canadian Olympic athletes, teams, coaches, and builders (officials, administrators, and volunteers). It was established in 1949. Selections are made by a committee appointed by the Canad ...

* 1982 Admission to the

Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum The Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum is a Canadian museum in Winnipeg, Manitoba, dedicated to honoring the history and achievements of sports in Manitoba. The organization began in 1980, and then opened a museum in The Forks in 1993. Afte ...

References

External links

Cyril Coaffee’s biography
a
Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum

{{DEFAULTSORT:Coaffee, Cyril 1897 births 1945 deaths People from Edmonton Sportspeople from the London Borough of Enfield Athletes from London English emigrants to Canada Athletes (track and field) at the 1920 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 1924 Summer Olympics Canadian male sprinters Olympic track and field athletes for Canada