Ray Middleton (racewalker)

Ray Middleton
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing  Great Britain
IAAF World Race Walking Cup
Silver medal – second place 1963 Varese 50 km walk
Representing  England
British Empire and Commonwealth Games
Silver medal – second place 1966 Kingston 20 mi walk

Raymond Christopher Middleton (9 August 1936 – 8 January 2023) was a British racewalker.[1] He represented Great Britain at the 1964 Summer Olympics in the 50 kilometres race walk.[2] He was also a six-time participant at the IAAF World Race Walking Cup between 1961 and 1973.[3] He took silver medals at the 1963 IAAF World Race Walking Cup (behind István Havasi) and 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games (behind Ron Wallwork).[4][5]

Born in Marylebone, he joined Belgrave Harriers athletics club and began competing internationally for Great Britain in his twenties.[2] He competed at the European Athletics Championships on three occasions (1962, 1966, 1969) with his best placing at that competition being fifth (achieved in both 1966 and 1969).[6]

Nationally, he had much success at the Race Walking Association championships. He won the 50 km title in 1963 as well as being runner-up in 1965, 1964, 1966, 1967 and 1970. He placed in the top three on five occasions over the 20-mile championship distance.[7] He also was third in the 7-mile race at the AAA Championships in 1962.[8]

Middleton died of respiratory failure following an infection, on 8 January 2023, at the age of 86.[9]

International competitions

[edit]
Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
1961 IAAF World Race Walking Cup Lugano, Switzerland 4th 50 km walk 4:39:24
1962 European Championships Belgrade, Yugoslavia — 50 km walk DQ
1963 IAAF World Race Walking Cup Varese, Italy 2nd 50 km walk 4:17:15
1964 Olympic Games Tokyo, Japan 13th 50 km walk 4:25:49.2
1965 IAAF World Race Walking Cup Pescara, Italy 7th 50 km walk 4:19:14
1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games Kingston, Jamaica 2nd 20 mi walk 2:45:19
European Championships Budapest, Hungary 5th 50 km walk 4:23:01.0
1967 IAAF World Race Walking Cup Bad Saarow, East Germany 8th 50 km walk 4:29:23
1969 European Championships Athens, Greece 5th 50 km walk 4:27:00.0
1970 IAAF World Race Walking Cup Eschborn, West Germany 11th 50 km walk 4:19:58
1973 IAAF World Race Walking Cup Lugano, Switzerland 19th 50 km walk 4:22:25

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Raymond Middleton. All-Athletics. Retrieved on 17 April 2016.
  2. ^ a b Ray Middleton. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 17 April 2016.
  3. ^ IAAF World Race Walking Cup Taicang 2014 Facts & Figures. IAAF. Retrieved on 16 April 2016.
  4. ^ IAAF World Race Walking Cup. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 17 April 2016.
  5. ^ Commonwealth Games. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 17 April 2016.
  6. ^ European Athletics Championships Zürich 2014 - STATISTICS HANDBOOK. European Athletics Association, pp. 377-384. Retrieved on 17 April 2016.
  7. ^ RWA Men's Race Walking Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 17 April 2016.
  8. ^ AAA Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 17 April 2016.
  9. ^ "Olympic race walker Ray Middleton dies". Athletics Weekly. 12 January 2023. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
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