Lawrence Allen also known as Lol Allen (25 April 1921 – 16 December 2018) was a British

racewalker Race walking, or racewalking, is a long-distance discipline within the sport of athletics. Although a foot race, it is different from running in that one foot must appear to be in contact with the ground at all times. Race judges carefully asses ...

who competed at the

1952 Summer Olympics The 1952 Summer Olympics (, ), officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad (, ) and commonly known as Helsinki 1952, were an international multi-sport event held from 19 July to 3 August 1952 in Helsinki, Finland. After Japan declared in ...

Biography

Allen was born in Sheffield, England and competed at club level for

Sheffield United Harriers City of Sheffield & Dearne Athletic Club is an athletics club based in Sheffield, England. It is based at the Sheffield Hallam University City Athletics Stadium. The club competes in the British Athletics League Premiership and Northern Athlet ...

. In 1948 he won the national junior 10-mile title. Allen finished third behind Arne Börjesson in the 2 miles walk event and second behind

Harry Churcher Harry George Churcher (21 November 1910 – 24 June 1972) was a British racewalker who competed at the 1948 Summer Olympics. Biography Churcher, a plumber and electrician by trade, finished second in the 1933 Surrey 2-mile walking champio ...

in the 7 miles walk event at the

1949 AAA Championships The 1949 AAA Championships was the 1949 edition of the annual outdoor track and field competition organised by the Amateur Athletic Association (AAA). It was held from 15 to 16 July 1949 at White City Stadium in London, England. Summary The ...

. From 1950 until 1952 he finished runner-up in three consecutive AAA Championships behind

Roland Hardy Roland Hardy (11 June 1926 – 14 June 2016) was a British racewalker who competed in the 1952 Summer Olympics and in the 1956 Summer Olympics. He was born in Sheepbridge, Derbyshire. Hardy was a five-time national champion in the 7 miles ...

. Allen finished second at the

1950 European Athletics Championships The 4th European Athletics Championships were held from 23 August to 27 August 1950 in the Heysel Stadium of the Belgium, Belgian capital Brussels. Contemporaneous reports on the event were given in the Glasgow Herald. Men's results Complet ...

but was denied a medal after being disqualified in the 10,000 metres event and was disqualified again while representing the Great Britain team at the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki. A steel forge worker by trade, he died in December 2018 at the age of 97.Yorkshire Race Walking Club: Sad Death of an Olympian
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References

1921 births 2018 deaths Athletes (track and field) at the 1952 Summer Olympics English male race walkers British male race walkers Olympic athletes for Great Britain Athletes from Sheffield 20th-century English sportsmen {{England-racewalk-athletics-bio-stub