William Frank Southall was an English racing cyclist who won silver medals for Great Britain in the individual road race at the 1928 Summer Olympics and a track cycling medal at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
15 Facts About Frank Southall
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Frank Southall represented Britain in world championships from 1926 to 1933.
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Frank Southall rode for the South London Norwood Paragon cycling club, broke numerous time trial and Road Records Association place-to-place records in domestic competitions, winning the first four British Best All-Rounder competitions from 1930 to 1933.
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Frank Southall broke his first record on Easter Monday in 1925, when he won the Etna 50-mile time trial on the Bath Road course in 2h 8m 31s, beating the record by five minutes.
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Frank Southall then improved the 50-mile record in the same event the following year and broke the world amateur hour record with 26 miles and 838 yards at Herne Hill in June 1926.
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In 1927, Frank Southall again broke the 50-mile record in the Etna event, recording 2h 5m 7s.
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In 1930, Frank Southall finished seventh in the world road race championship and broke the national 100-mile time trial record with 4h 32m 46s.
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Frank Southall now held six single and tandem competition records.
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Frank Southall was one of the best performers in the world against the clock but in 21 miles he lost seven minutes to Henry Hansen of Denmark.
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Frank Southall had been riding fast enough to take back a minute in the last half of the race.
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Frank Southall finished sixth in the Olympic road race in 1932, with Charles Holland 15th and Stan Butler 16th.
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Frank Southall turned professional in 1934 to attack place-to-place records, there being no professional road racing in Britain.
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Frank Southall had already worked for Hercules as a salesman.
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Frank Southall was elected president of Norwood Paragon in 1953.
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Frank Southall died aged 59 on 1 March 1964 in Hayling Island, Hampshire.