Arthur Wellington Sweeney (20 May 1909 – 27 December 1940) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

athlete An athlete (also sportsman or sportswoman) is a person who competes in one or more sports that involve physical strength, speed, or endurance. Athletes may be professionals or amateurs. Most professional athletes have particularly well-de ...

who competed for

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 ...

in 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-s ...

. He was born in

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...

and was killed in a flying accident in

Takoradi Sekondi-Takoradi is a city in Ghana comprising the twin cities of Sekondi and Takoradi. It is the capital of Sekondi – Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly and the Western Region of Ghana. Sekondi-Takoradi is the region's largest city and an indu ...

, Gold Coast, while serving as a

wing commander Wing commander (Wg Cdr in the RAF, the IAF, and the PAF, WGCDR in the RNZAF and RAAF, formerly sometimes W/C in all services) is a senior commissioned rank in the British Royal Air Force and air forces of many countries which have historical ...

in the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...

during 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 opposi ...

in 1940 aged 31. He was buried at the Takoradi European Public Cemetery. In 1936 he was eliminated in the semi-finals of the 100 metres event and in the first round of the 200 metres competition. At the 1934 Empire Games he won the gold medal in the 100 yards contest and in the 220 yards event. He was also a member of the English relay team which won the gold medal in the 4×110 yards competition.

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* 1909 births 1940 deaths Sportspeople from Dublin (city) English male sprinters Olympic athletes for Great Britain Athletes (track and field) at the 1936 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 1934 British Empire Games Commonwealth Games gold medallists for England Commonwealth Games medallists in athletics Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in Africa Accidental deaths in Ghana European Athletics Championships medalists Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1940 Royal Air Force wing commanders Royal Air Force personnel killed in World War II Military personnel from Dublin (city) Medallists at the 1934 British Empire Games {{England-athletics-bio-stub