Eddie Hall

Biographical information

RolesCompeted in Olympic Games
SexMale
Full nameEdward Ramsden "Eddie"•Hall
Used nameEddie•Hall
Born17 July 1900 in Milnsbridge, Huddersfield, England (GBR)
Died12 May 1982 in Monte Carlo, Monaco (MON)
NOC Great Britain

Biography

Although he was a member of the British teams that won the two-men and five-men bobsleigh events at the 1927 European Championships, and competed the following year in the four/five-men event at the 1928 Winter Olympics, Edward Ramsden “Eddie” Hall is remembered now much more for his motor racing pursuits than the bobsleigh. The heir to a large textile fortune, he began racing at the age of 22 and was made a member of the British Racing Drivers’ Club in 1932. The following year, he was awarded their Gold Star for his performance in one of their races. At the 1950 Le Mans 24-hour race, he became the first person to do the entire race solo.

Hall always refused to sign autographs in person but, if a fan provided him with their name and address, he would send them on a headed notepaper. After his retirement in 1951, he left Britain and moved to Canada, before finally settling in Monte Carlo in an apartment with a view of the harbor and a section of the Grand Prix circuit. In 1960 he donated a trophy to the British Racing Drivers’ Club to be presented annually to the winner of their Formula Junior Championship. In his spare time, he pursued photography and published a book on the topic in 1938 that focused on figure skating and contained actions shots from that year’s European Figure Skating Championships. He died in May of 1982, after several years of failing health.

Results

Games Discipline (Sport) / Event NOC / Team Pos Medal As
1928 Winter Olympics Bobsleigh (Bobsleigh) GBR Eddie Hall
Four/Five, Men (Olympic) Great Britain 2 9

Special Notes