WordofTheDay.US

Eric Liddell

Scottish athlete and missionary (1902–1945)

Eric Henry Liddell (; 16 January 1902 – 21 February 1945) was a Scottish sprinter, rugby player and a Christian missionary. Born in Tianjin, China to Scottish missionary parents, he attended a boarding school near London, spending time when possible with his family in Edinburgh, and afterwards attended the University of Edinburgh.

At the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, Liddell refused to run in the heats for his favoured 100 metres because they were held on a Sunday, conflicting with his Sabbatarian views. Instead he competed in the 400 metres held on a weekday, a race that he won.

From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Not a dictionary word, so it lives in People.