Albert Hill
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| Olympic medal record | |||
| Men's athletics | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | 1920 Antwerp | 800 metres | |
| Gold | 1920 Antwerp | 1500 metres | |
| Silver | 1920 Antwerp | 3000 m team | |
Albert George Hill (March 24, 1889 – January 8, 1969) was a British athlete, winner of two Olympic gold medals at the 1920 Summer Olympics.
Born in Tooting (London), Hill started out as a long distance runner, winning the British AAA championships over 4 miles in 1910. Little more was heard from him in the next few years, until World War I interrupted most athletic contests in Britain in 1914.
After the war, Hill returned as a middle-distance runner. Coached by Sam Mussabini (coach of 100 m Olympic Champions Reggie Walker and Harold Abrahams), he won the 880 yd and 1 mile at the 1919 AAA championships. He nearly wasn't selected for the Olympics the following year, the selectors considering the 31-year-old Hill too old. In the end, he was allowed to take part at the Olympics, which were held in Antwerp, Belgium. He made the final in the 800 m, which was a closely contested race. In the end, the 31-year-old Hill beat American Earl Eby for the gold, setting a national record as well.
Two days later, Hill completed the middle distance double by winning the 1500 m as well, thus completing a "double" not replicated by a British athlete until Kelly Holmes at the 2004 Olympics. Helped by his compatriot, Philip Baker (who would receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 1959), he won comfortably, with Baker in second. Hill also competed in the 3000 m team race event, in which the British team finished second, earning Hill's third Olympic medal.
After winning the 1921 1 mile AAA championships, Hill ended his running career, and became a coach himself, his most famous protege being Sydney Wooderson. He emigrated to Canada shortly before World War II, and died there in 1969.
| Olympic champions in men's 800 m |
|---|
|
1896: Teddy Flack | 1900: Alfred Tysoe | 1904: Jim Lightbody | 1906: Paul Pilgrim | 1908: Mel Sheppard | 1912: Ted Meredith | 1920: Albert Hill | 1924: Douglas Lowe | 1928: Douglas Lowe | 1932: Thomas Hampson | 1936: John Woodruff | 1948: Mal Whitfield | 1952: Mal Whitfield | 1956: Tom Courtney | 1960: Peter Snell | 1964: Peter Snell | 1968: Ralph Doubell | 1972: Dave Wottle | 1976: Alberto Juantorena | 1980: Steve Ovett | 1984: Joaquim Cruz | 1988: Paul Ereng | 1992: William Tanui | 1996: Vebjørn Rodal | 2000: Nils Schumann | 2004: Yuriy Borzakovskiy |
| Olympic champions in men's 1500 m |
|---|
|
1896: Teddy Flack | 1900: Charles Bennett | 1904: Jim Lightbody | 1906: Jim Lightbody | 1908: Mel Sheppard | 1912: Arnold Jackson | 1920: Albert Hill | 1924: Paavo Nurmi | 1928: Harry Larva | 1932: Luigi Beccali | 1936: Jack Lovelock | 1948: Henry Eriksson | 1952: Josy Barthel | 1956: Ron Delany | 1960: Herb Elliott | 1964: Peter Snell | 1968: Kip Keino | 1972: Pekka Vasala | 1976: John Walker | 1980: Sebastian Coe | 1984: Sebastian Coe | 1988: Peter Rono | 1992: Fermín Cacho | 1996: Noureddine Morceli | 2000: Noah Ngeny | 2004: Hicham El Guerrouj |
| Inter-war British Olympic champions in men's athletics |
|---|
| 1920: Albert Hill (800 m & 1500 m) | 1920 Percy Hodge (3000 m steeplechase) | 1924: Harold Abrahams (100 m) | 1924: Eric Liddell (400 m) | 1924 & 1928 Douglas Lowe (800 m) | 1928 David Burghley (400 m hurdles) | 1932 Thomas Hampson (800 m) | 1932 Thomas Green (50 km walk) | 1936 Harold Whitlock (50 km walk) |
