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Freddie Wolff

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Freddie Wolff
Born(1910-10-13)13 October 1910
Died26 January 1988(1988-01-26) (aged 77)
Alma materBeaumont College
OccupationAthlete
Known forGold Medal Olympian
SpouseNatalie Winefred Virginia Byrne
Children5
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing  Great Britain
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1936 Berlin 4x400 m relay

Frederick Ferdinand Wolff, CBE, TD (13 October 1910 – 26 January 1988) was a British athlete, winner of gold medal in 4 × 400 m relay at the 1936 Summer Olympics.[1]

Early life

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On 13 October 1910, Wolff was born in British Hong Kong, the eldest son of a family of four children. Wolff was a member of the Kowloon Cricket Club, where he won his first race in 1919.[2]

Wolff and his family returned to England. Wolff attended Shirley House Preparatory School and Beaumont College in Windsor, England.[2]

Career

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Frederick Wolff won the British AAA in 440 yd (400 m) in 1933.

At the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games, Wolff ran the opening leg in the British 4 × 400 m relay team, which won the gold medal with a new European record of 3.09.0.

In 1929, Wolff joined the family firm Rudolf Wolff & Co. In the Second World War, Wolff served in the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry and was promoted to the rank of captain.[3] Wolff rejoined Rudolf Wolff & Co. in 1946, and became a partner in 1951.

From 1970 to 1977 Wolff became the Committee Chairman of the London Metal Exchange helping establishing the LME's international reputation. He was made a CBE in 1975.[4]

Wolff was the chairman of the Handicapped Children's Pilgrimage Trust.[5]

Personal life

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Wolff married Natalie Winefred Virginia Byrne, the daughter of Ferdinand and Mary (née Keith) Byrne. Wolff had five children: Jennifer, John, Carolyn, Richard (twin) and Christine (twin).

Also 22 Grandchildren: Michael, Philippa, Michele, Clare, Natalie, Timothy, Madeleine, Catherine, Paul, Anna, Suzie, Mark, Christianne, Lucinda, Fred, John, Nikki, Monica, Sebastian, Andrew, Luke, Marie-Francoise.

On 26 January 1988, Wolff died in Marylebone, London, United Kingdom. He was 77.[2] The British Olympic Association held a reception at the Buckingham Palace for all surviving British Olympic medalists on the day he died.[2]

In 2015, Wolff's great-grandson Daniel Wolff competed in the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Los Angeles. His disability was autism.[5]

References

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  1. ^ Chasing Gold. Getty Images. 2005. p. 176. ISBN 0-901662-02-X.
  2. ^ a b c d Freddie Wolff Archived 4 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2015-01-23.
  3. ^ The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry War Chronicle 1942-1944. Gale and Polden Limited. 1951. p. 382.
  4. ^ Wolff's Guide to the London Metal Exchange (2nd ed.). Metal Bulletin Books Limited. 1980. p. 320. ISBN 0-900542-43-8.
  5. ^ a b Perry, Alex (2 January 2015). "Wolff on hunt for family Olympic gold". ESPN. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
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