Ken Matthews (race walker)

{{Short description|British race walker (1934–2019)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2015}}

{{Use British English|date=November 2014}}

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name = Ken Matthews
{{nobold|{{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|MBE}}}}

| image = Ken Matthews 1964.jpg

| image_size = 150px

| caption = Matthews at the 1964 Olympics

| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1934|06|21}}

| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|2019|06|02|1934|06|21}}

| birth_place = Birmingham, United Kingdom

| height = 1.85 m

| weight = 78 kg

| sport = Race walking

| club = Royal Sutton Coldfield Walking Club

| pb = 42:35.6 (10 km, 1960)
1.28:15 (20 km, 1960)

| alma_mater =

| show-medals = yes

| medaltemplates =

{{Medal|Sport|Men's athletics}}

{{Medal|Country | {{GBR2}} }}

{{Medal|Competition|Olympic Games}}

{{Medal|Gold| 1964 Tokyo | 20 km walk}}

{{Medal|Competition|European Championships}}

{{Medal|Gold| 1962 Belgrade | 20 km walk}}

}}

Kenneth Joseph Matthews, MBE (21 June 1934 – 2 June 2019)[https://www.athleticsweekly.com/news/olympic-champion-race-walker-ken-matthews-dies-1039922906/ Olympic champion race walker Ken Matthews dies] was a British race walker, who won the Olympic (1964) and European (1962) titles in the 20 km walk.

From 1957 Matthews worked as an electrician at a local power plant at Hams Hall near Sutton Coldfield and had to take a paid leave for competitions. In 1959, 1961, 1963 and 1964 he won the British titles in all three walking events. He took part in the 1960 Olympics, but failed to finish the 20 km race. He won the same event at the 1964 Games in a new Olympic record of 1.29:34. He was the only one of the four gold medallists from Great Britain who was not appointed a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) soon afterwards in recognition of his achievement. Following a public outcry, he belatedly received the honours, for services to race walking, in the 1977 Silver Jubilee and Birthday Honours.{{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ma/ken-matthews-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417173318/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ma/ken-matthews-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2020-04-17 |title=Ken Matthews}}Sam Knight (9 June 2012) [http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/b7472de6-adf2-11e1-bb8e-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1xSehPdIH Kenneth Matthews, Great Britain]. FT Magazine.United Kingdom: {{London Gazette |issue=47234 |date=10 June 1977 |pages=7097 |supp=y}}

Matthews also won the European title in 1962 and twice the Lugano Trophy (1961 and 1963).

In 2007, he was the guest of honour at Hawarden High School for the Year 11 Record Of Achievement.{{citation needed|date=August 2019}} In 2011, he was inducted into the England Athletics Hall of Fame.{{cite web |title=2011 Hall of Fame Inductees |url=https://www.englandathletics.org/team-england/hall-of-fame/2011-inductees/ |publisher=England Athletics |access-date=9 April 2024}}

He died on 2 June 2019, aged 84. An inquest concluded in early January 2020 that his death was the result of an unknown allergic reaction.{{cite news |date= 3 January 2020 |title= Olympian Ken Matthews died after 'unknown' allergic reaction |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-50988247 |work= BBC News |access-date= 19 January 2021}}