Thomas William Green (30 March 1894 – 29 March 1975) was a British

racewalker Racewalking, or race walking, is a long-distance discipline within the sport of athletics. Although a foot race, it is different from running in that one foot must appear to be in contact with the ground at all times. Race judges carefully asses ...

who won a gold medal in the men's 50 km walk at the

1932 Summer Olympics The 1932 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the X Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1932) were an international multi-sport event held from July 30 to August 14, 1932 in Los Angeles, California, United States. The Games were held duri ...

. The son of a police constable, Green could not walk until the age of five, owing to his affliction with

rickets Rickets is a condition that results in weak or soft bones in children, and is caused by either dietary deficiency or genetic causes. Symptoms include bowed legs, stunted growth, bone pain, large forehead, and trouble sleeping. Complications may ...

. He lied about his age and joined the British Army in 1906 and served during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, where he was wounded on three occasions and gassed while fighting in France. Returning to Britain, he eventually settled in

Eastleigh Eastleigh is a town in Hampshire, England, between Southampton and Winchester. It is the largest town and the administrative seat of the Borough of Eastleigh, with a population of 24,011 at the 2011 census. The town lies on the River Itchen, o ...

where he worked at a railway works before being encouraged by a blind friend to take up racewalking. Green's career began to rise during the late 1920s and reached its peak during the 1930s, when he became the first British national and Olympic 50 km racewalking champion. He continued his success through the mid-1930s, but placed fourth at the 1936 National Championships and was thus unable to compete in that year's Summer Olympic Games. He retired from competitive athletics and had a career as a publican prior to spending his retirement as a sports promoter and administrator. Tommy Green Walk in Eastleigh is named in his honour.

Early life

Green was born in the town of

Fareham Fareham ( ) is a market town at the north-west tip of Portsmouth Harbour, between the cities of Portsmouth and Southampton in south east Hampshire, England. It gives its name to the Borough of Fareham. It was historically an important manufact ...

in Hampshire, England on 30 March 1894. His family was

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...

and his father, Tom, was a police constable. The younger Green was afflicted with

as a child and thus unable to walk until he was five years old. He left school at the age of 12 and briefly worked as a butcher's assistant before lying about his age and joining the

20th Hussars The 20th Hussars was a cavalry regiment of the British Army. After service in the First World War it was amalgamated with the 14th King's Hussars to form became the 14th/20th King's Hussars in 1922. History Early wars The regiment was originally ...

of the

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in 1906. He was invalided four years later after a horse fell on him, but recalled up to service at the onset of the First World War. He fought in France with the

3rd The King's Own Hussars The 3rd (The King's Own) Hussars was a cavalry regiment of the British Army, first raised in 1685. It saw service for three centuries, including the First and the Second World Wars, before being amalgamated with the 7th Queen's Own Hussars, to ...

where he was wounded three times and gassed so severely that the army sent him back to Britain in 1917.

Athletic career

Green settled in the town of

where he held numerous jobs until finally finding more stable employment with

Eastleigh Railway Works Eastleigh Works is a locomotive, carriage and wagon building and repair facility in the town of Eastleigh, in the county of Hampshire in England. History LSWR The London and South Western Railway (LSWR) opened a carriage and wagon works at Eas ...

, a repair facility for trains and carriages. He also trained as a boxer and long-distance runner in his spare time until he was encouraged by a blind friend to take up the sport of

racewalking Racewalking, or race walking, is a long-distance discipline within the sport of athletics. Although a foot race, it is different from running in that one foot must appear to be in contact with the ground at all times. Referee, Race judges careful ...

. He entered – and won – his first race at the age of 32 in 1926 and soon thereafter joined the

Belgrave Harriers Belgrave Harriers, founded in October 1887, is an athletics club in Britain, with headquarters located in Wimbledon, close to Wimbledon Common. As of February 2013, they had the most successful record in the history of the British Athletics Leag ...

. His breakthrough year was 1929, winning several national competitions and coming in second at an international 100 km event in

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

. Green's prominence grew in 1930 as he set a new world record while becoming Britain's first national 50 km racewalking champion in July. After a string of victories in other British events, he captured his first international title at the international 100 km race in

. His continuing success through 1931 and 1932 earned him a trip to the

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, where he won a gold medal in the first ever men's 50 km walk at the Games. At the time he was 38 years old and he remains, as of 2008, the oldest person to have won the event. He contested fewer races in 1933 and 1934, but he set his sights on making an appearance at the

1936 Summer Olympics The 1936 Summer Olympics (German: ''Olympische Sommerspiele 1936''), officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad (German: ''Spiele der XI. Olympiade'') and commonly known as Berlin 1936 or the Nazi Olympics, were an international multi-sp ...

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

and resumed his heavy regimen of training in 1935. He was runner-up to

Harold Whitlock Hector Harold Whitlock (16 December 1903 – 27 December 1985) was a British athlete who competed mainly in the 50 kilometre walk. He attended Hendon School, then Hendon County School, in North London, where he planted in 1936 an oak tree saplin ...

for the British 50 km title that year, but he slid to fourth place in the following year's competition and was not selected for the Berlin Games. Whitlock, who captured the 1936 National Championship with a world record time, became the eventual winner of the 1936 Olympic 50 km walk.

Later life

Green retired from competitive athletics after 1936 and, having lost a thumb in an industrial accident at Eastleigh Railway Works in 1934, took up a career as a publican. He did participate in a Victory Walk following the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

where, at the age of 53, he finished 17th in a field of 146 competitors. His final race came in 1946, where he was victorious in an event that stretched from

Poole Poole () is a large coastal town and seaport in Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester and adjoins Bournemouth to the east. Since 1 April 2019, the local authority is Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Counc ...

to Wareham in

Dorset Dorset ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the unitary authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset (unitary authority), Dors ...

. In retirement he dedicated the remainder of his life to promoting sports and served as President of the Eastleigh Cricket Association. He died on 29 March 1975 in Eastleigh, where Tommy Green Walk was named in his honour.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Green, Tommy 1894 births 1975 deaths British male racewalkers English male racewalkers English Olympic medallists Olympic gold medallists for Great Britain Athletes (track and field) at the 1932 Summer Olympics Olympic athletes of Great Britain British publicans People from Fareham Medalists at the 1932 Summer Olympics Olympic gold medalists in athletics (track and field) British masters athletes British Army personnel of World War I 3rd The King's Own Hussars soldiers