Vic d’Arcy of Polytechnic Harriers ran the anchor leg in the sprint relay at the 1912 Olympics and broke the tape inches ahead of the Germans, who had set a world record in the semi-finals. After the race the Germans were disqualified and the silver medals went to Sweden. D’Arcy established himself as a top-class sprinter in 1911 when, after beating William Applegarth at the Kinnaird Trophy meeting, he finished second in the AAA 100 yards and closed the season by equaling the British record of 9.8 seconds in Vienna. Although d’Arcy never won an AAA individual sprint title, he finished in the first three four times and was also on the winning medley relay team four times. At the 1912 and 1920 Olympics he was eliminated in the preliminary rounds of both individual sprints but after winning a relay gold medal in Stockholm he was again, at the age of 33, a relay finalist at Antwerp in 1920. He concluded his career by representing the British Empire against the USA in the relay match held in London after the 1920 Olympics, and before the year-end he immigrated to South Africa where he spent the rest of his life.
Personal Bests: 100y – 9.8 (1911); 100 – 10.9 (1911); 220y – 21.7e (1914).
Great Britain