Bill Fritz

William Duncan “Bill” Fritz was an excellent track sprinter who represented Canada at the Olympics and the British Empire Games in the 1930s. Fritz attended Walkerville Collegiate where he set several WSSA, WOSSA, and Ontario records. In 1931 he ran the 440 yards in 52.6 seconds, setting a WSSA record that stood until 1953. At the same meet he also won gold in the long jump and, unusually for a sprinter, the shot put. One year later he set WSSA senior records in the 220 and 440 yards, with the records standing until 1975 and 1965, respectively. He then went to study at Queen’s University where he won eight intercollegiate championship titles in the 220 and 440 yards.

Fritz was 23-years-old in 1933 when he was part of the quartet that set a Canadian record in the mile relay, which stood until 1947. The following year he was selected to represent Canada at the 1934 British Empire Games in London where he won silver in the 4 × 440 yards relay (with Ray Lewis and the non-Olympians Art Scott and John Addison), and finished fourth in the 440 yards. Two years later he just missed out on a medal at the 1936 Berlin Olympics when he came fourth in the 4 × 400 metres relay. Fritz also reached the final of the 400 metres in Berlin where he finished fifth. He returned to the British Empire Games in 1938 in Sydney, winning gold in the 4 × 440 yards relay (with Johnny Loaring, Lee Orr, and the non-Olympian Bill Dale) and silver in the 440 yards, only inches behind the British sprinter Bill Roberts. Fritz was inducted into the Windsor Essex-County Sports Hall of Fame in 1991.

Personal Best: 400 - 47.32 (1936).