David Jacobs (Welsh athlete)
 David Jacobs in 1913 | ||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
30 April 1888 Cardiff, Wales | |||||||||
| Died |
6 June 1976 (aged 88) Llandudno, Conwy, Great Britain | |||||||||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | |||||||||
| Weight | 70 kg (150 lb) | |||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||
| Sport | Athletics | |||||||||
| Event(s) | 100–400 m | |||||||||
| Club | Herne Hill Harriers, Mitcham | |||||||||
| Achievements and titles | ||||||||||
| Personal best(s) |
100 m – 10.8 (1912) 200 m – 21.9e (1912) 440 yd – 49.9e (1913)[1][2] | |||||||||
Medal record
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David Henry Jacobs (30 April 1888 – 6 June 1976) was a Welsh-born track and field sprinter. He was the first British Jew to win an Olympic gold medal.[3]
He was born in Cardiff, to John Jacobs (previously Yaakov), who was a general dealer from London. His athletics career started in London with Herne Hill Harriers in 1908.[3] His interest in athletics was aroused by watching the 1908 Olympic Games.
At the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, Jacobs won a gold medal as the first leg in the British 4 × 100 m relay team, in spite of finishing second behind the United States in the semifinals. The United States was later disqualified for a fault in passing the baton, the same mistake made in the finals by the world record holder and main favourite German team.
Jacobs also competed in the 100 m and 200 m individual events, but was eliminated in the semifinals.[1]
Although many times Welsh champion, Jacobs never succeeded in winning a AAA title. He retired from active sport after World War I.[1]
He died suddenly in Aberconwy, aged 88, while on holiday from his London home. His body was returned to London, where he was buried in a Jewish cemetery,[3] at East Ham. At the time of his death he was Britain's oldest Olympic gold medalist.[1][4]
References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to David Jacobs. |
- 1 2 3 4 David Jacobs. sports-reference.com
- ↑ David Jacobs. trackfield.brinkster.net
- 1 2 3 William D. Rubinstein, Michael Jolles, Hilary L. Rubinstein, eds. (2011). "Jacobs, David Henry". The Palgrave Dictionary of Anglo-Jewish History. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 465. ISBN 9781403939104.
- ↑ "David Henry Jacobs, Gold Medallist at the Olympics". The US. 25 July 2012.
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