Adrian Metcalfe

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Adrian Metcalfe
Personal information
NationalityBritish
Born(1942-03-02)2 March 1942
Died2 July 2021(2021-07-02) (aged 79)
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing  Great Britain
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 1964 Tokyo 4 × 400 metres relay
European Championships
Silver medal – second place 1962 Belgrade 4 × 400 metres relay
Representing  England
British Empire & Commonwealth Games
Silver medal – second place 1962 Perth 4 × 440 yards relay

Adrian Peter Metcalfe OBE (2 March 1942 – 2 July 2021) was a British athlete and broadcaster. He set a UK record for the 400m in 1961 and won silver relay medals at the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, the 1962 European Athletics Championships and the 1964 Summer Olympics. He moved into broadcasting, first as a commentator, then as head of sport at Channel 4 and then at Eurosport. He held roles at the International Olympic Committee and International Association of Athletics Federations and was awarded an OBE for services to sport and broadcasting in 2001.

Early life[]

Adrian Peter Metcalfe was born on 2 March 1942 in Bradford to Hylton and Cora Metcalfe and brought up in Leeds, along with his sister Lynne.[1] His father was a manager at Yorkshire Bank and his mother a teacher.[2] He attended The Brunts School after his father became manager of the Midland Bank in Mansfield,[3] and went on to study English at Magdalen College, Oxford, where he was also president of the athletics club.[2]

Athletics career[]

Metcalfe won an English Schools athletics title as a schoolboy.[2] In 1961, he won the 100, 220 and 440 yards in record times in the Varsity match and broke Robbie Brightwell's UK 400m record with a time of 45.7 seconds.[2][4] He was a relay silver medallist with England at the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Perth, Australia,[5][6][7] and with Great Britain at the 1962 European Championships in Belgrade, Yugoslavia.[2][4] Metcalfe competed for Great Britain in the 1964 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo in the 4 × 400 m relay where he won the silver medal with his teammates Tim Graham, John Cooper and Robbie Brightwell.[8][4][1]

Business career[]

Metcalfe began working in television, commentating on athletics for ITV, before joining Channel 4 where he was head of sport, introducing lesser-known foreign sports such as American football and Sumo to British viewers.[2][4] He joined the pan-European sports channel Eurosport in 1989 and then Tyne Tees TV before becoming an executive producer with the International Olympic Committee Olympic Broadcasting Services.[2][1] In 1998, Metcalfe invested in a web-based project, worldsport.com, working with a large number of international sports federations but the project failed.[2] He also held roles with the International Association of Athletics Federations, serving on marketing and television commissions until 2011.[9] He was awarded an OBE for services to sport and broadcasting in 2001.[9][1]

Personal life[]

Metcalfe was married twice with two children and three step-children.

He lived in France with his second wife, before moving to the Sunrise of Winchester retirement home in Winchester in 2011.[1][10]

He died on 2 July 2021, aged 79.[2] A painting depicting Metcalfe's life and sporting achievements painted by his sister Lynne, who discovered art therapy after having a stroke, was donated to the Sunrise of Winchester retirement home and is now displayed there as a memorial to Metcalfe.[1][10]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Sunrise Of Winchester Celebrates Former Resident And Olympic Medallist". The Carer UK. 6 September 2021. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Adrian Metcalfe obituary". The Times. 29 July 2021. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  3. ^ Whetton, John (27 August 2008). "What a magical boost for Mansfield". Chad. Johnston Press Digital Publishing. Archived from the original on 19 April 2013. Retrieved 4 November 2008.
  4. ^ a b c d "Olympic medallist and athletics commentator Adrian Metcalfe dies". Athletics Weekly. 8 July 2021. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  5. ^ "Athletes and results". Commonwealth Games Federation.
  6. ^ "1962 Athletes". Team England.
  7. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Adrian Metcalfe". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
  8. ^ Olympics.org, accessed 6 September 2008
  9. ^ a b "Olympic medallist and broadcaster Metcalfe dies". World Athletics. 8 July 2021. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  10. ^ a b Hartherley, Sam (7 September 2021). "Adrian Metcalfe OBE remembered by Sunrise Winchester". Hampshire Chronicle. Retrieved 24 September 2021.

External links[]

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