Alfred Flaxman
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | British (English) |
| Born | 1 October 1879 Wombwell, England |
| Died | 1 July 1916 (aged 36) Gommecourt, Pas-de-Calais, France |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Athletics |
| Event(s) | discus, javelin, high jump, hammer, pole vault |
| Club | South London Harriers |
Alfred Edward Flaxman (1 October 1879 – 1 July 1916) was a British track and field athlete who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics.[1]
Biography
Flaxman was born in Wombwell, West Riding of Yorkshire, the son of a Yorkshire vicar. He studied violin at the Royal Academy of Music but became an all-round athlete.[2]
Flaxman represented Great Britain at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London,[3][4] where he participated in the discus throw competition, the Greek discus throw event, the freestyle javelin throw competition, and the standing high jump event but in all these competitions his final ranking is unknown.[5]
Flaxman became the British pole jump champion (as it was called at the time) after winning the British AAA Championships title at the 1909 AAA Championships.[6] He then became the British hammer throw champion after winning the British title at the 1910 AAA Championships.[7]
Flaxman was killed in action during the First World War in Gommecourt, Pas-de-Calais, France, serving as a second lieutenant with the South Staffordshire Regiment on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, aged 26. His remains were not recovered, and he is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.[8]
References
- ^ "Alfred Flaxman". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
- ^ "Olympians Who Were Killed or Missing in Action or Died as a Result of War". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
- ^ "Olympic Games, Britain's team of athletes". Liverpool Daily Post. 12 June 1908. Retrieved 11 April 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "The Olympic Games, British Representatives". The Sportsman. 12 June 1908. Retrieved 11 April 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Alfred Flaxman". Olympedia. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
- ^ "AAA, WAAA and National Championships Medallists". National Union of Track Statisticians. Retrieved 11 April 2025.
- ^ "AAA Championships (men)". GBR Athletics. Retrieved 11 April 2025.
- ^ Flaxman, Alfred Edward, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, retrieved 28 September 2008