Brian Shenton

Brian Shenton (15 March 1927 – 9 May 1987)^[1] was a track and field sprinter. He represented Great Britain in the men's 200 metres and men's 4 × 100 metres relay at two consecutive Summer Olympics (1952 and 1956).^[2]

Brian Shenton

Shenton in 1950 British running kit with his trainer
Personal information
Nationality	British (English)
Born	15 March 1927 Doncaster, England
Died	9 May 1987 (aged 60)
Height	175 cm (5 ft 9 in)
Weight	70 kg (154 lb)
Sport
Sport	Athletics
Event	Sprints
Club	Polytechnic Harriers
Medal record Representing  Great Britain Men's athletics European Championships 1950 Brussels 200 m 1954 Berne 4 × 100 m relay Representing  England British Empire Games 1950 Auckland 4 × 110 yd relay British Empire and Commonwealth Games 1954 Vancouver 220 yd

Biography

Born in Doncaster from a working-class background,^[3] he was a member of the Doncaster Plant Works Athletic Club,^[4] later having a successful career in the City and reaching the position of Chairman of Noble Lowndes. He died in a car crash soon after retirement.^[5]

Shenton came to public attention in 1950 with a series of good performances, culminating in a place at the European Championships as a replacement. Described as the "boy from nowhere", he set a new personal best in the semi-finals of 21.6s, in the finals beating off the challenge of Étienne Bally.^[6]

He won the gold medal at the 1950 European Athletics Championships in Brussels, Belgium in the men's 200 metres in a time of 21.5s as part of the British team that first topped the medal table with a medal count that would not be matched for a further 40 years.^[7] Representing the England athletics team he won the silver medal at the 1950 British Empire Games in Auckland, New Zealand, in the 4 × 110 yard relay and won an individual silver medal in the 220 yard dash at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.^[8]

He won the silver medal at the 1954 European Athletics Championships in Berne, Switzerland in the men's 4 × 100 metres relay,^[9] alongside George Ellis, Kenneth Jones and Kenneth Box.^{[citation needed]}

1950 European Athletics Championships Gold Medal 200 m

Shenton was the British 220 yards champion after winning the British AAA Championships title at the 1954 AAA Championships^[10] and the 1956 AAA Championships.^[11]

In 1957 Brian Shenton was timed as having set the English 100 yards native record in a time of 9.7 seconds. However, this was disallowed following a ruling that he had had a "flier". Shenton appealed and received a personal hearing at the AAA.^[12]

Memorabilia from Brian Shenton's athletic career was included in an exhibition of Doncaster's local Olympians in celebration of the London 2012 Olympics.^[13]