13 Facts About Cecil Griffiths

Cecil Redvers Griffiths was a Welsh athlete who won a gold medal at the 1920 Summer Olympics.

Cecil Griffiths was barred from competing at the 1924 Summer Olympics due to a ruling that he had competed as a professional during his early career, but continued to successfully race in domestic competitions.

Cecil Griffiths was a successful local businessman, town councillor and committee member of Neath RFC.

Cecil Griffiths was Benjamin and Sarah's fifth child of six, but only older siblings Ben and Eva survived beyond infancy.

Cecil Griffiths showed promise as a winger for Neath RFC but did not progress beyond the junior sides due to the outbreak of the First World War.

The war ended before Cecil Griffiths was sent on active service.

Cecil Griffiths was picked to represent Britain in the 400 metres but illness forced him to withdraw before the event.

Cecil Griffiths lost his job in the Great Depression that followed the Wall Street crash and was forced to sell most of his trophies and medals.

Cecil Griffiths found employment again at the coal depot office of the London Co-operative Society in Edgware.

Cecil Griffiths died of heart failure in 1945 at Edgware railway station in London, leaving a widow and two sons.

Cecil Griffiths was buried in St Lawrence's Church in London in an unmarked grave.

Cecil Griffiths met his wife, Gladys Rees, at a junior running race in Neath in 1915.

One of Cecil Griffiths' uncles, George Trick, was a captain of Neath RFC.