Harold Abrahams, Faith and International Women's Day

Is it unconscious bias that has led me to remember more of Eric Liddell's story than of Harold Abrahams when I think of the film Chariots of Fire? Maybe it was Liddell's genuine Christian faith that caused me to be more interested in him. So I have been researching Harold Abrahams. His father, Isaac Klonimus, was a Lithuanian Jew from Suwalki, who came as an immigrant into Britain as a fifteen year old and changed his name to Abrahams, in recognition of his father (Abraham Klonimus). As part of my research I have re-watched Chariots of Fire in order to see it from Abrahams' perspective and learn more about him. Screenplay writer Colin Welland's film was released in 1981, which was three years after Abrahams died (14/1/78; twenty-two days after my birth). The film actually begins with an opening scene and ends with a closing scene depicting a Memorial Service in London. Mark Ryan, in his book about Abrahams, Running with Fire, records this as being held at St Bride's, near Fleet Street, on 20/2/78.

Played in the film by actor Ben Cross, there are some historical inaccuracies which Lord Puttnam, Chariots of Fire producer, knew about. They were added for dramatic effect. For example, the 'Cambridge dash' around a courtyard was never tried by Abrahams despite the film showing him to be the first to achieve this in seven centuries. Also, Abrahams' use of a professional coach, Sam Mussabini, actually took place when he was fourteen and twenty-three, not while he was a university student. In the film Abrahams receives a frosty reception when he arrived to be welcomed as a student at Caius College at Cambridge University in 1919. "With a name like Abrahams he won't be in chapel choir will he?", says one of the staff. Abrahams is clearly viewed with suspicion but also intrigue. We get this impression from the academic staff who are aware he is Jewish and believe him to be arrogant, and "defensive to the point of pugnacity, as they invariable are ... perhaps they really are God's chosen people, I doubt there's a swifter man in God's kingdom." The film also portrays these staff as anti-Semites, condemning Abrahams' links with the coach, Mussabini. But the film also depicts Abrahams using his sprinting ability as a weapon against those who disliked his Jewish origin. "Grin and bear it? No, take them on!" he says. In his book, Running with Fire, Mark Ryan refers to the origins of Abraham's experience of anti-Semitism, which actually pre-dated his university days: 'There is no doubt that Harold was hurt by anti-Semitism as a teenager, because he referred to it so consistently in later interviews. "There was much more anti-Semitic feeling in those days and it provided one with the driving force to succeed in athletics. I never sought grievances, it was more a question of "this animal is dangerous when attacked". And I was attacked a few times"' (p.19). The headmaster at Repton was reportedly an anti-Semite. Then came the 'unsavoury undercurrent' (p. 27) of anti-Semitism at university, but Abrahams also said "I think I had a bit of a chip on my shoulder about it"' (p. 41).

Abrahams appears to have taken steps towards embracing Christianity while at Cambridge, but Ryan notes that he 'was neither a committed Christian nor Jew in the second half of his life. If he firmly believed in anything, it was that he didn't want religion to restrict him in life. He never had let it' (p. 338).

An interesting feature of Abrahams' life, which isn't referred to in Chariots of Fire, but which Ryan's book helpfully records, is that after his 100 metre gold medal success at the 1924 Paris Olympics (when Liddell also won a gold medal in the 400 metres and a bronze in the 200 metres), he established himself as part of the British athletic administrative team. He was determined to work for the BBC at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, but the BBC were very aware of the complications this would create in the disturbing political climate in Germany at that time, when Nazism was leading to Aryan superiority being promoted and Jews were persecuted. Ryan notes, 'The BBC was still worried by the idea of being represented by a Jew in Nazi Germany. Harold was having similar concerns about the prospect of reporting from Berlin. Though he desperately wanted to go, he also wanted to make sure he would be made welcome and allowed to work unhindered' (p. 199). Ryan adds, 'By sending Harold, a man of Jewish origin, the BBC was going to cause itself trouble. Either he would fall foul of anti-Semitism, or be manipulated for the purposes of Nazi propaganda' (p. 203). The keen Abrahams was still determined to go, even as an unofficial reporter, and 'he promised himself that, while in Berlin, he would make some kind of personal protest against Hitler's Nazi regime' (p. 212). Ryan writes, 'Athletes couldn't fail to hear the din or sense the blind adoration every time the Fuhrer made his appearance. You had to be bloody-minded to put your personal aims before the will of such a powerful man ... The German crowd were roused to the height of enthusiasm when in the presence of Herr Hitler they gained two Olympic victories' (p. 221). The nasty Nazi racism of that time really came to the surface when Jessie Owens, a black athlete from Ohio, caused Hitler offence because of his winning the 100 metres final. Ryan comments 'Albert Speer, Hitler's architect and future Armaments Minister, said his boss was 'highly annoyed', blaming Owens' 'primitive jungle antecedents' for his superior strength over 'civilised white men'' (p. 224). Can you imagine someone using the phrase 'primitive jungle antecedents' today? Social media would be calling it out. Such comments would rightly cause a furore and righteous indignation.

Today is International Women's Day. Harold married Sybil Evers in December 1936 and they remained husband and wife until Sybil's death in 1963. Interestingly, Abrahams experienced a kind of conversion during his lifetime in his attitude to women. In 1928 he had written, according to Ryan, 'I do not consider that women are built for really violent exercise of the kind that is the essence of competition. One only has to see them practising to realise how awkward they are on the running track'. Just before World War Two he added, 'I confess to a deep-seated opposition to women's athletics' (p. 297). But by 1955 Abrahams had come to see his previous views as nonsense, he became a 'sporting suffragist' and served as the Women's Amateur Athletic Association's legal advisor. 'Some of the most charming women I know are first-class athletes' (p. 298), he confessed. One was Valerie Ball, a 400 and 800 metre athlete. Interestingly, each year from 1964, the year after Abraham's bereavement, the Duke of Edinburgh, who was President of the British Amateur Athletic Board, kindly agreed to present a cup called The Sybil Abrahams Memorial Trophy to the best British woman athlete at Buckingham Palace. The first winner was Mary Rand who, at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, won gold in the long-jump, silver in the pentathlon and bronze in the 4 x 100 metres relay event.
Ryan believes Abrahams 'was an idealist; he saw athletics as a wonderful agent for peace and harmony. He had a vision for an Olympic medal ceremony that would prevent countries from using his beloved Games as a vehicle for nationalism. He wanted the Olympic theme played instead of the national anthem, and the Olympic flag flown above that of the winning country. The gold medal winner would be introduced as 'Your Olympic Champion' and his nationality mentioned only coincidentally. If thirty-six different countries won a medal each, that was Harold's idea of Utopia' (p. 316-317).

Unlike Liddell, Abrahams may not have described himself as a devout Christian in his latter years, but my reading of his life is that there is much to be commended. In response to experiencing anti-Semitism in his early years he channelled his anger and frustration, and found his athletics to be a wholesome outlet. In response to his unconscious bias, and prejudice against women's athletics in early years, he became an advocate and supporter of women in sport. Activists for women's rights in sport, Sharron Davies included, would approve! Davies' new book, Unfair Play, records that 'Pierre de Coubertin is celebrated at every opening ceremony as the founding father of the modern Olympics. The truth is that he was the father of men's sport at the Games and the patriarch who effectively told women to stay out. They could partake in the festivities in 1896 as long as they had 'chaperones' in two - but forget the sport. That was all about a display of athletic performance reflecting men's abilities, endurance, strength, virility and courage. Women had none of that, according to Coubertin, and so their participation was pointless' (p.11-12). More positively, Davies notes that a Frenchwoman, Alice Milliat, founded the Federation Sportive Feminine Internationale in 1921 and a year later set up the Women's World Games, which were held every four years until 1934. Bravo, Alice. And bravo to another Alice too. Last Saturday, in very adverse conditions, Alice Crane became the first female to finish first at Mole Valley parkrun. Something I will never achieve, being neither female nor fit enough.