Freddie Wolff
Freddie Wolff | |
|---|---|
 Wolff in 1952 | |
| Born | 13 October 1910 |
| Died | 26 January 1988 (aged 77) Marylebone, London, U.K. |
| Alma mater | Beaumont College |
| Occupation | Athlete |
| Known for | Gold Medal Olympian |
| Spouse | Natalie Winefred Virginia Byrne |
| Children | 5 |
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's athletics | ||
Representing  Great Britain
| ||
| Olympic Games | ||
 |
1936 Berlin | 4x400 m relay |
Frederick Ferdinand Wolff, CBE, TD (13 October 1910 – 26 January 1988) was a British athlete, winner of gold medal in 4 × 400 m relay at the 1936 Summer Olympics.[1]
Early life
[edit]On 13 October 1910, Wolff was born in British Hong Kong, the eldest son of a family of four children. Wolff was a member of the Kowloon Cricket Club, where he won his first race in 1919.[2]
Wolff and his family returned to England. Wolff attended Shirley House Preparatory School and Beaumont College in Windsor, England.[2]
Career
[edit]Frederick Wolff won the British AAA in 440 yd (400 m) in 1933.
At the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games, Wolff ran the opening leg in the British 4 × 400 m relay team, which won the gold medal with a new European record of 3.09.0.
In 1929, Wolff joined the family firm Rudolf Wolff & Co. In the Second World War, Wolff served in the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry and was promoted to the rank of captain.[3] Wolff rejoined Rudolf Wolff & Co. in 1946, and became a partner in 1951.
From 1970 to 1977 Wolff became the Committee Chairman of the London Metal Exchange helping establishing the LME's international reputation. He was made a CBE in 1975.[4]
Wolff was the chairman of the Handicapped Children's Pilgrimage Trust.[5]
Personal life
[edit]Wolff married Natalie Winefred Virginia Byrne, the daughter of Ferdinand and Mary (née Keith) Byrne. Wolff had five children: Jennifer, John, Carolyn, Richard (twin) and Christine (twin).
Also 22 Grandchildren: Michael, Philippa, Michele, Clare, Natalie, Timothy, Madeleine, Catherine, Paul, Anna, Suzie, Mark, Christianne, Lucinda, Fred, John, Nikki, Monica, Sebastian, Andrew, Luke, Marie-Francoise.
On 26 January 1988, Wolff died in Marylebone, London, United Kingdom. He was 77.[2] The British Olympic Association held a reception at the Buckingham Palace for all surviving British Olympic medalists on the day he died.[2]
In 2015, Wolff's great-grandson Daniel Wolff competed in the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Los Angeles. His disability was autism.[5]
References
[edit]- ^ Chasing Gold. Getty Images. 2005. p. 176. ISBN 0-901662-02-X.
- ^ a b c d Freddie Wolff Archived 4 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2015-01-23.
- ^ The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry War Chronicle 1942-1944. Gale and Polden Limited. 1951. p. 382.
- ^ Wolff's Guide to the London Metal Exchange (2nd ed.). Metal Bulletin Books Limited. 1980. p. 320. ISBN 0-900542-43-8.
- ^ a b Perry, Alex (2 January 2015). "Wolff on hunt for family Olympic gold". ESPN. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
External links
[edit]- Freddie Wolff at Olympics at Sports-Reference.com (archived)
- Frederick Ferdinand Wolff at Olympics.com
- Freddy Wolff obituary, American Metal Market 27 January 1988, Managing Director and Chairman of Rudolf Wolff & Co. and Chairman of the LME[permanent dead link]
- 1910 births
- 1988 deaths
- Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1936 Summer Olympics
- Olympic athletes for Great Britain
- English Olympic competitors
- Olympic gold medallists for Great Britain
- English male sprinters
- British male sprinters
- Hong Kong emigrants to England
- Medalists at the 1936 Summer Olympics
- Olympic gold medalists in athletics (track and field)
- British expatriates in Hong Kong
- British Army personnel of World War II
- Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry officers
- 20th-century English sportsmen