Cecil Redvers Griffiths (18 February 1900 – 11 April 1945) was a

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

athlete who won a gold medal at the 1920 Summer Olympics. He was subsequently barred from competing at the 1924 Summer Olympics due to a ruling that he had competed as a professional during his early career, but continued to successfully race in domestic competitions.

Biography

Early life

Griffiths' father, Benjamin, was a former able-bodied seaman born in a

workhouse In Britain, a workhouse () was an institution where those unable to support themselves financially were offered accommodation and employment. (In Scotland, they were usually known as poorhouses.) The earliest known use of the term ''workhouse' ...

who settled in Neath upon leaving the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...

. He was a successful local businessman, town councillor and committee member of

Neath RFC Neath Rugby Football Club ( cy, Clwb Rygbi Castell-Nedd) is a Welsh rugby union club which plays in the WRU Championship. The club's home ground is The Gnoll, Neath. The team is known as the All Blacks because of the team colours: black with onl ...

. He married Sarah Trick in 1892. Griffiths was Benjamin and Sarah's fifth child of six, but only older siblings Ben and Eva survived beyond infancy. Their father died when Griffiths was eight. Griffiths showed promise as a winger for Neath RFC but did not progress beyond the junior sides due to the outbreak of 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 ...

. Upon leaving school, Griffiths began work at the Great Western Railway depot in Neath. When he reached his eighteenth birthday in February 1918, he volunteered for the

Queen's Westminsters The Queen's Westminsters were an infantry regiment of the Territorial Army, part of the British Army. Originally formed from Rifle Volunteer Corps, which were established after a French invasion scare of 1859. The unit became part of the newly ...

, a Territorial Army regiment in London. The war ended before Griffiths was sent on active service.

Athletics career

While in the army, Griffiths ran in several races, including winning the

440 yards 44 may refer to: * 44 (number) * one of the years 44 BC, AD 44, 1944, 2044 Military *44M Tas, a Hungarian medium/heavy tank design of World War II *44M Tas Rohamlöveg, a Hungarian tank destroyer design of World War II, derived from the 44M Tas ta ...

at the 1918 Inter-Services Championships at Stamford Bridge. When the war ended, Griffiths joined Surrey Athletics Club and made his first appearance in the

AAA Championships The AAA Championships was an annual track and field competition organised by the Amateur Athletic Association of England. It was the foremost domestic athletics event in the United Kingdom during its lifetime, despite the existence of the officia ...

in 1919, finishing third in the 440 yards. Third place in the same race the following year led to Griffiths being selected in the British team for the 1920 Summer Olympics. Griffiths made his only

Olympic Games The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a vari ...

appearance in the 1920 Antwerp Games, running the opening leg in the British 4×400 metres relay team which won the gold medal. He was also picked to represent Britain in the 400 metres but illness forced him to withdraw before the event.Cecil Griffiths
sports-reference.com In September 1920, soon after the Olympics, Griffiths was a member of the British Empire team that broke the 4×440 yards British record in a time of 3:20.8. The following year, Griffiths claimed the Welsh records in 220 yards and 440 yards. In 1922, Griffiths switched focus to 880 yards. In his first season, he broke the Welsh record at this distance. He won the AAA Championships 880 yards in 1923 and 1925. At the end of 1923 or in early 1924, Griffiths was banned by the

International Amateur Athletics Federation World Athletics, formerly known as the International Amateur Athletic Federation (from 1912 to 2001) and International Association of Athletics Federations (from 2001 to 2019, both abbreviated as the IAAF) is the international governing body for ...

and Amateur Athletic Association for receiving prize money at unregistered races in Neath and Swansea in 1917, the cumulative prizes of which totalled less than £10. As a reinstated professional, Griffiths was allowed to compete in domestic competitions but was prevented from representing the UK in international competitions. This barred him from the 1924 Summer Olympics in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

, where it is likely that Griffiths would have competed in the

800 metres The 800 metres, or meters ( US spelling), is a common track running event. It is the shortest commonly run middle-distance running event. The 800 metres is run over two laps of an outdoor (400-metre) track and has been an Olympic event since t ...

and 4×400 metres relay.

Life after athletics

Griffiths retired from competitive running in 1929. He lost his job in the Great Depression that followed the

Wall Street Crash The Wall Street Crash of 1929, also known as the Great Crash, was a major American stock market crash that occurred in the autumn of 1929. It started in September and ended late in October, when share prices on the New York Stock Exchange colla ...

and was forced to sell most of his trophies and medals. Griffiths found employment again at the coal depot office of the

London Co-operative Society The London Co-operative Society (LCS) was a consumer co-operative society in the United Kingdom. History The Society was formed in September 1920 by the amalgamation of the Stratford Co-operative Society and the Edmonton Co-operative Society, ...

in Edgware. On the outbreak of 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 ...

, Griffiths joined his local

Home Guard Home guard is a title given to various military organizations at various times, with the implication of an emergency or reserve force raised for local defense. The term "home guard" was first officially used in the American Civil War, starting w ...

and reportedly saved the life of a comrade who dropped a live grenade by throwing it over a blast wall. Griffiths died of heart failure in 1945 at

Edgware railway station Edgware was a London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) station located on Station Road in Edgware, north London. It was opened in 1867 and was in use as a passenger station until 1939, then as a goods yard until 1964. It is not to be confused ...

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, leaving a widow and two sons. He was buried in St. Lawrence's Church in London in an unmarked grave. In 2022 a headstone was installed at the grave.

Personal life

Griffiths met his wife, Gladys (May) Rees, at a junior running race in Neath in 1915. They were later formally introduced by May's older brother. They married in St. David's Parish Church in Neath on 25 July 1922 but spent all of their married life in London. Griffiths had two sons, John and Cecil (usually called Rees). One of Griffiths' uncles, George Trick, was a captain of Neath RFC. A cousin, Kathleen Trick, is thought to be the first identifiable female depicted in rugby kit.

Notes

References

External links

Profile on Welsh Athletics
{{DEFAULTSORT:Griffiths, Cecil Welsh male sprinters British male sprinters 1900 births 1945 deaths Sportspeople from Neath Athletes (track and field) at the 1920 Summer Olympics Olympic athletes of Great Britain Olympic gold medallists for Great Britain Welsh Olympic medallists Medalists at the 1920 Summer Olympics Olympic gold medalists in athletics (track and field) British Home Guard soldiers Welsh military personnel British Army personnel of World War I Queen's Westminsters soldiers