Alan Paterson (athlete)

Alan Sinclair Paterson (born June 11, 1928 in Glasgow , † May 8, 1999 in Canada ) was a British athlete . The 1.98 m high jumper was one of the best Europeans in his discipline after the Second World War.

In the summer of 1945 he jumped the Scottish record with 1.87 meters. One month before his 18th birthday, he jumped 1.95 meters, making him the youngest Brit to ever set an athletics record. After further records of 1.97 meters and 2.00 meters in 1946, he improved to 2.02 meters in 1947.

In 1946 the first European championships took place in Oslo after the Second World War. Paterson won silver with 1.96 meters behind the Swede Anton Bolinder with 1.99 meters. This made Paterson the youngest ever medalist at European Championships. At the Olympic Games in London in 1948 , Paterson finished seventh with 1.90 meters.

At the British Empire Games in Auckland in 1950 he was 1.95 meters along with the Nigerian Joshua Majekodunmi second behind the Australian Olympic champion from 1948 John Winter , who jumped 1.98 meters. At the European Championships in Brussels in 1950 , Paterson won an international title after several Scottish and three British championship titles (AAA). With 1.96 meters he was European champion ahead of the Swede Arne Åhman with 1.93 meters.

In 1951 Paterson emigrated to Canada, but joined the British team again in 1952 at the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki. After crossing 1.87 meters in qualification, he only managed 1.80 meters in the final, with which he was classified in 24th place.

literature

• Peter Matthews, Ian Buchanan: The All-Time Greats of British and Irish Sport. Guinness, Enfield 1995 ISBN 0-85112-678-2 .
• Ekkehard zur Megede : The Modern Olympic Century 1896–1996. Track and Field Athletics. German Society for Athletics Documentation eV, Neuss 1999.