Ron Pavitt

Ronald Cecil John Pavitt (15 September 1926 – 31 January 1988) was a British athlete who competed in the men's high jump at the 1948 Summer Olympics and the 1952 Summer Olympics.^[1]

In 1944, Pavitt won the AAA Southern Area junior title and in 1946 won the two titles at the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Championship. Pavitt was a radio mechanic with the Royal Navy Air Command at the time but would later work for Lyons food.^[2] Additionally in 1946 he finished second behind Alan Paterson in the high jump event at the 1946 AAA Championships.^[3][4] Pavitt finished second again, this time behind Adegboyega Adedoyin at the 1947 AAA Championships.^[5]

Pavitt represented the Great Britain team at the 1948 Olympic Games in London^[2] before finishing second for the third and fourth time at the 1949 AAA Championships and 1950 AAA Championships, Alan Paterson proving his nemesis again on both occasions.^[5]

Pavitt represented the England team in the high jump at the 1950 British Empire Games in Auckland, New Zealand^[6][7] and later that summer finally became British high jump champion after winning the British AAA Championships title at the 1950 AAA Championships.^[8]

Pavitt retained his AAA title at the 1951 AAA Championships^[5] before being selected for his second Olympics. He represented the Great Britain team at the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki, finishing fifth and missing a medal by just 3cm.^[2]