Britain at the 1964 Olympics – Information from an Exhibition

In 1964, Tokyo held the Olympics, 24 years after it would have done, if it hadn’t been for the outbreak of the Second World War. Tokyo was still recovering from the war, repairing buildings and train systems in time for the Olympics. In fact, Tokyo went beyond repair. It was said to look like a new city. Japan wished to display its organisation to the world, and, in this, it succeeded. The Olympics went off without any major problems and Japan was praised worldwide for its handling of the games.

The British Olympic Association’s report was full of praise. This may be due to Britain’s inability to focus on its own success, due to its having done better in previous years.

This is displayed with many other objects relating to the Olympics of 1964 at the Japanese embassy until September.

This is the entirety of Britain’s medals:

Gold

• Ken Matthews — Athletics, Men’s 20 km Walk – also an Olympic record

• Lynn Davies — Athletics, Men’s Long Jump

• Ann Packer — Athletics, Women’s 800 metres

• Mary Rand — Athletics, Women’s Long Jump

Silver

• Basil Heatley — Athletics, Men’s Marathon

• John Cooper — Athletics, Men’s 400m Hurdles

• Maurice Herriott — Athletics, Men’s 3000 m Steeplechase

• Adrian Metcalfe, Robbie Brightwell, John Cooper, and Tim Graham — Athletics, Men’s 4×400m Relay

• Paul Nihill — Athletics, Men’s 50 km Walk

• Ann Packer — Athletics, Women’s 400 metres

• Mary Rand — Athletics, Women’s Pentathlon

• Henry Hoskyns — Fencing, Men’s Epée Individual

• John Russell, Hugh Wardell-Yerburgh, William Barry, and John James — Rowing, Men’s Coxless Fours

• Robert McGregor — Swimming, Men’s 100m Freestyle

• Louis Martin — Weightlifting, Men’s Middle Heavyweight

• Keith Musto and Tony Morgan — Sailing, Men’s Flying Dutchman

Bronze

• Janet Simpson, Daphne Arden, Dorothy Hyman, and Mary Rand — Athletics, Women’s 4×100m Relay

• Peter Robeson — Equestrian, Jumping Individual

Anne Packer had in fact only run the 800m 7 times before this race, according to a label at the exhibition. The two female gold medal winners were in fact roommates. You may also notice that both won a silver medal, for Mary Rand, the pentathlon and for Anne Packer, the 400m. Mary Rand also got a bronze medal in the 4x100m relay.

Also competing was Menzies Campbell, who would later become a liberal democrats MP and, at one point, leader of the party. His vest and shoe bag are on display, still with a sticker from the flight there. The label at the exhibition notes the importance of the shoe bag, as losing shoes would be disastrous for a runner competing in the games.

As well as the competitors, Britain also required commentators, as this would be the first games to be telecast globally, instead of having footage arrive later on. John Snagge was the BBC’s commentator. His picture, with microphone seemingly taped to his head and small screen, is also on display. With this picture is a label with interpreter Dr Brian Powell’s description of Snagge’s experience of the games. Snagge, a Japan enthusiast and relative expert, had considerable difficulty in using chopsticks in the restaurants of Japan, much to Powell’s amusement. Professor Geoffrey Bownes, who set up the Japanese departments of Oxford and Sheffield, was also an interpreter working at the games.

Britain’s Olympic attaché was Dick Ellingworth, who was also working as a diplomat in the British embassy. He, according to the exhibition’s label to his picture, had considerable difficulty in convincing the competitors that Tokyo would be ready in time for the Olympics.

Perhaps the greatest difficulty that the British faced was the language barrier. A number of phrasebooks are also displayed at the exhibition, with such useful phrases as imaginary conversations about previous athletes and volleyball, which was new to the Olympics that year.

Also displayed at the Olympics are a desk shield, enamel badge and Bovril spoon given to the British team in thanks. These are small objects, but of considerable beauty.

The exhibition also contains a PowerPoint presentation with hundreds of pictures of the games, the torch running and many other subjects, people and objects together with snippets of information, partially written by myself. There are many bibs, posters, and pictures, a film and many objects relating to the games, located in the beautiful Japanese embassy.

This highly recommended exhibition finishes on the 7th September and is closed for weekends. Details can be found here.

Text by Orland Byron (Fortismere School North London)