Jack Butler (racewalker)
{{short description|British athlete}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name = Jack Butler
| image =
| caption =
| nationality = British (English)
| sport = Athletics
| event = Racewalking
| club = Polytechnic Harriers
| birth_date = 19 December 1870
| birth_place = Upper Norwood, London, England
| death_date = {{death date and age|1959|10|3|1870|12|19|df=yes}}
| death_place = Hastings, East Sussex, England
| height =
| weight =
}}
John Butler (19 December 1870 – 3 October 1959) was a British racewalker who competed at the 1908 Summer Olympics.{{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/bu/jack-butler-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418042055/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/bu/jack-butler-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 April 2020 |title=John Butler Olympic Results |access-date=26 November 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://www.teamgb.com/athlete/jack-butler/6YqsZAspMgFzfjf2G25Bau |title=Jack Butler |website=Team GB |access-date=15 April 2025}}
Biography
Butler was born in Upper Norwood, London, England.{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/68935 |title=Jack Butler |work=Olympedia |access-date=15 April 2025}}
Butler finished second behind his Polytechnic Harriers teammate William Sturgess in the 4 miles walk event for three consecutive years at the 1898 AAA Championships,{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000893/18980704/154/0008 |title=The Amateur Athletic Championships |work=Sporting Life |date=4 July 1898 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=15 April 2025}} 1899 AAA Championships{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000893/18990703/154/0008 |title=The Amateur Athletic Association Championships |work=Sporting Life |date=3 July 1899 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=15 April 2025}} and 1900 AAA Championships.{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000893/19000709/019/0001 |title=The Amateur Athletic Association Championships |work=Sporting Life |date=9 July 1900 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=15 April 2025}}
The following year he finally became the British champion at the AAA Championships after the event increased in distance from 4 miles to 7 miles at the 1901 AAA Championships.{{cite web|url=https://www.nuts.org.uk/Champs/AAA/index.htm |title=AAA, WAAA and National Championships Medallists |website=National Union of Track Statisticians |access-date=15 April 2025}} After a second place behind Sturgess in 1902 he secured a second AAA title at the 1903 AAA Championships.{{cite web|url=http://www.gbrathletics.com/bc/aaa.htm |title=AAA Championships (men) |website=GBR Athletics |access-date=15 April 2025}}
Butler represented the Great Britain team at the 1908 Olympic Games in London,{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001055/19080612/073/0003 |title=The Olympic Games, British Representatives |work=The Sportsman |date=12 June 1908 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=15 April 2025}}{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000648/19080612/187/0008 |title=Olympic Games, Britain's team of athletes |work=Liverpool Daily Post |date=12 June 1908 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=15 April 2025}} where he participated in the men's 3500 metres walk. In his heat he finished fifth and failed to progress to the Olympic final. Just two days later he was due to participate in the men's 10 miles walk event but failed to finish in heat two.
References
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Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1908 Summer Olympics
Category:British male race walkers
Category:Olympic athletes for Great Britain
Category:People from Upper Norwood
Category:Athletes from the London Borough of Croydon
Category:19th-century English sportsmen