Cyril Gill

Biographical information

RolesCompeted in Olympic Games
SexMale
Full nameCyril William•Gill
Used nameCyril•Gill
Born21 April 1902 in Holland Park, England (GBR)
Died1 September 1989 in Gorey, Jersey (JER)
Measurements183 cm / 70 kg
AffiliationsPolytechnic Harriers, Westminster (GBR)
NOC Great Britain
Medals OG
Gold 0
Silver 0
Bronze 1
Total 1

Biography

Cyril Gill joined Polytechnic Harriers in 1925 and one of his first successes was in being a member of the 4 x 220 yards relay team at the Woolwich War Memorial Sports in July that year, a title they would retain a year later. A month after that first success, Gill later ran one of the 220 yard legs as Poly carried off the Middlesex one mile relay title. He also won the Middlesex 220 yards title and in 1926 won both the Middlesex 100 and 220 yards titles as well as the one mile relay. Unfortunately he could finish only second in the Southern Counties 220 and third in the 100. He made his international debút in the 1926 Triangular tournament for England against Ireland and Scotland and a fortnight later represented England in their annual match against France, winning the 100 metres. At the 1927 AAAs he was in the Poly team that came second in the 4 x 110 yards relay.

At the start of Olympic year he won the 100 yards Challenge Cup at the London Athletic Club meeting at Stamford Bridge and also the 220 yards handicap off scratch. He then finished second to Guyanan-born Jack London, in the British Games at ‘The Bridge’ and again at the Middlesex County Championships, although Gill did win the 220. He won the 220 in the England v Cambridge University match at Fenners and these performances saw Gill called up for both sprints and sprint relay for the 1928 Olympics.

Gill spent his life working in the hotel trade, starting at London’s Hotel Metropole as a 17-year-old before moving to the de luxe Palace Hotel in Jersey, which was used by the Germans as an ammunition store during World War II but one night the whole lot went up in flames. Fortunately, Gill was no longer at the hotel at the time, having moving to the Grand Hotel in Broadstairs in 1934 and then taking up a similar position with Caledonian Hotel, Aberdeen the following year before a move back to the Grand in 1938. He later returned to Jersey after marrying a local girl Phyllis Miller, and in 1947, along with fellow Olympian Harry Askew he founded the Jersey Athletics Club

Personal Bests: 100 – 10.8 (1926); 200 – 21.8ye (1928).

Results

Games Discipline (Sport) / Event NOC / Team Pos Medal As
1928 Summer Olympics Athletics GBR Cyril Gill
100 metres, Men (Olympic) 3 h2 r2/4
200 metres, Men (Olympic) 5 h2 r3/4
4 × 100 metres Relay, Men (Olympic) Great Britain 3 Bronze