Pierre Failliot

Pierre Failliot, the son of a Paris city councillor, was even better known as a rugby player than as a track athlete. He started playing rugby in 1906 for Stade Français while attending the prestigious Janson-de-Sailly high school. From 1908 he wore the colours of the Racing Club de France. With his club he became vice-champion of France in 1912. Between 1911 and 1913 he represented France in eight international matches. Failliot played four times in the Five Nations Tournament, scoring a pre-war record of five tries. His powerful style of play and his speed earned him the nickname “l’autobus”, but World War I ended his promising career. In 1913 he graduated from the École Centrale in Paris as an engineer of arts and manufactures.

In addition to rugby Failliot competed in track & field since 1907. In 1908, he bettered the French record over the low hurdles to 49.0. Although he was registered in six events at the 1908 London Olympics, his parents prevented him from going to the Olympics in order not to miss any days of studying. In 1909, he claimed four French titles winning the 100, 200, and 400 as well as the 400 hurdles. During his career, he won a total of 11 championships in these events plus one in the javelin in a period of just five years. He added another three podiums (400, 800, shot put) and another championship in an all-around competition.

Failliot set French records for 200, 300, 400, and 500 metres as well as in the 110 and 400 hurdles. In 1911, he was on top of the world’s ranking in the 400 metre hurdles. Unfortunately, this event was not contested at the 1912 Olympics.

In Stockholm, he was entered in eight events, eventually competing in five including the decathlon, in which he retired after three events. Failliot failed to advance to the second round in the 100 and 200 metres and in the 4x100 relay. His best result was a silver medal in the 4x400 relay behind the United States winning in world record time.

In World War I he served as a lieutenant in the artillery and was later promoted to the rank of captain. He was awarded the Croix de Guerre and was appointed Knight of the Legion of Honour and several other awards. In 1914 he married the heiress of the Arches paper mills in the Vosges.

An avid Basque pelota player, Failliot later became president of the French Pelota Association. A staunch fighter against professionalisation in sports, he later co-wrote, with Louis Bonniot de Fleurac, the definitive work in French on athletics, Les courses à pied et les concours athlétiques. In Arches and later in Paris he ran paper mills but died early at the age of 46.

Personal Bests: 100 – 11.0 (1909); 200 – 22.6 (1911); 400 – 49.0 (1908); Dec – unknown.