Mel Brock

In the 1910s track and field athlete George Melbourne “Mel” Brock was regarded as one of Canada’s best half-milers. Brock was a member of the Varsity Blues track team at the University of Toronto from 1910 to 1912. He captained the team in 1910 and 1911, leading them to win the 1910 intercollegiate championship. In 1912 he was selected to compete at the Stockholm Olympics where he finished fifth in the 800 metres. Brock was an all-round sportsman who also played on the Varsity’s basketball team, soccer team, and the football team. He later served as a member of the athletic directorate and as a member of the advisory board. Following his graduation Brock worked at the University of Western Ontario where he coached their football team to the national junior championships in 1914. During World War I he served with the Canadian Army Medical Corps in France, reaching the rank of major. Brock was inducted into the Varsity Blues Hall of Fame in 1999.

Personal Bests: 400 – 49.0 (1912); 800 – 1:52.8e (1912).