Harold Allan Wilson (January 21, 1885 – 1916) was an English athlete. Born in Horncastle, Lincolnshire, England, he won the silver medal in the men's 1500 metres race at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London, competing on the Great Britain and Ireland team. He was a member of the Hallamshire Harriers and the Irish American Athletic Club.
He was the first man to run a sub four minute 1,500m, with a time of 3:59.8 in 1905.
In the 1908 Olympic Games Wilson won his semifinal in the 1500 with a time of 4:11.4; his time in the final was 4:03.6, fractions of a second behind America's premier runner of the day, Melvin Sheppard of the Irish American Athletic Club, with a time of 4:03.4. "Wilson won a trial heat in fast time, but in the final had to bow to the superior speed of America's premier runner, Melvin Sheppard, and in this event forced him to break the record for the distance to win."
The following year, Wilson was in Queens, New York, competing alongside Sheppard wearing the Winged Fist of the Irish American Athletic Club. He competed in the U.S. during the 1909 outdoor season, and was considered one of the best mile runners in competition. In 1909 he turned professional and met with a certain amount of success in Canada and South Africa.
He died in France in 1916.
Famous quotes containing the words harold a, harold and/or wilson:
“Sybil: Do you love running?
Harold Abrahams: I’m more of an addict. It’s a compulsion, a weapon.
Sybil: Against what?
Harold Abrahams: Being Jewish, I suppose.
Sybil: [laughing] You’re not serious.
Harold Abrahams: You’re not Jewish, or you wouldn’t ask.”
—Colin Welland (b. 1934)
“Well, at least I have the satisfaction of having destroyed a terrible monster, and in doing so rid the world of an awful curse.”
—Griffin Jay, and Harold Young. Stephen Banning (Dick Foran)
“These are days ... when a great cloud of trouble hangs and broods over the greater part of the world.... Then all about them, all about us, sits the silent, waiting tribunal which is going to utter the ultimate judgment upon this struggle.... No man is wise enough to produce judgment, but we call hold our spirits in readiness to accept the truth when it dawns on us and is revealed to us in the outcome of this titanic struggle.”
—Woodrow Wilson (1856–1924)