Harry Hart (athlete)

Harry Hart
Personal information
Full nameHendrik Beltsazer Hart
Born2 September 1905
Harrismith, Free State, South Africa
Died10 November 1979 (aged 74)
Reitz, Free State, South Africa
Height190 cm (6 ft 3 in)
Weight93 kg (205 lb)
Sport
CountrySouth Africa
SportAthletics
EventShot put/discus/decathlon/javelin
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing South Africa
British Empire Games
1930 Hamilton Discus throw
1930 Hamilton Shot put
1934 London Discus throw
1934 London Shot put
1934 London Javelin throw
1930 Hamilton Javelin throw

Hendrik Beltsazer Hart (2 September 1905 – 10 November 1979)[1] was a South African athlete who competed in the 1932 Summer Olympics.

Biography

Hart was born in Harrismith, Orange River Colony. He won the British AAA Championships title in the decathlon event at the 1928 AAA Championships.[2][3][4] Shortly afterwards he represented Great Britain at the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam, Netherlands, where he

At the 1930 British Empire Games he won the gold medal in the discus throw event as well as in the shot put competition. He also won the bronze medal in the javelin throw contest and finished fifth in the 120 yards hurdles event. In the 440 yards hurdles competition he was eliminated in the heats.

Hart won the British AAA Championships shot put title at the 1932 AAA Championships.[5][6] Shortly afterwards he finished tenth in the Olympic shot put event, eleventh in the decathlon competition, and twelfth in the discus throw contest.

Four years later at the 1934 British Empire Games he won again the gold medal in the discus throw event as well as in the shot put competition. In the javelin throw contest he won the silver medal.

Hart was the owner of the Royal Hotel in Reitz, Free State, South Africa. He was friends with Douglas Fairbanks, Errol Flynn, Clark Gable, Johnny Weissmuller and Blackie Swarts (at that time a cowboy actor and later the first president of South Africa). He was offered the part of Tarzan but refused as he had to return home to his farm to practice for the Empire Games. He had a study-trophy room at his hotel where there were hundreds of photographs of himself in the company of the above-mentioned and Esther Williams, Maureen O'Sullivan and others.

He died in Reitz

References

  1. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Harry Hart". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
  2. ^ "Peltzer fails to come back". London Daily Chronicle. 7 July 1928. Retrieved 5 January 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  3. ^ "Champions of the AAA". Daily News (London). 9 July 1928. Retrieved 5 January 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  4. ^ "AAA, WAAA and National Championships Medallists". National Union of Track Statisticians. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
  5. ^ "Amateur Athletics Championships". Gloucestershire Echo. 2 July 1932. Retrieved 11 January 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. ^ "Fast times in AAA Championships". Reynolds's Newspaper. 3 July 1932. Retrieved 11 January 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
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