Henry Blakeney

Henry Blakeney attended the Army School in Maidenhead before going to the Royal Military College Sandhurst, after which he joined the Royal Sussex Regiment, where he reached the rank of Captain. He was runner-up in 100 y at the Royal Military College Sports in 1909. After winning the Army 120 y hurdles title in 1912, Blakeney was eliminated in the heats the high hurdles at the AAA Championships, but finished second in the 440 y hurdles to fellow Olympian Joseph English. Blakeney took part in the first international meeting involving England, Ireland and Scotland, at Hampden Park, Glasgow in 1914, finishing third in the 100 y.

Blakeney won a Miltary Cross in World War I when he sustained wounds, which resulted in his early retirement from the Army in 1920, He had twice previously been wounded on active service – shortly after the outbreak of hostilities in 1914 and again in January 1915 when he was shot in the head from a sniper’s bullet, which resulted in a severely fractured skull. Blakeney was also a fine hockey player and represented his regiment in the Army Hockey Tournament.

Personal Bests: 100 – unknown; 120yH – 15.4 (1912); 440yH – 1:00.8 (1914).