Have a look at the bio, family and wife of Norman Pritchard
Indian Olympian Manu Bhaker, who created history after becoming the first Indian woman shooter to win an Olympic medal, secured another bronze medal with Sarabjot Singh in the 10-metre air pistol mixed team event on Tuesday.
After witnessing this achievement of Bhaker, many are comparing her Olympic record with Norman Pritchard, who was the first Indian athlete to win two Olympic medals in a single edition of the Games.
Who is Norman Pritchard first Indian to win multiple medals at the same Olympic Games, biography, age, family, parents, wife, nationality and sports
But who was Norman Pritchard? Let’s find out together!
The second Indian after Norman Pritchard in Paris 1900 to win two individual medals at a single Olympics 🔥
MANU BHAKER. LEGEND! pic.twitter.com/6Y3yb0m7ZW
— ESPN India (@ESPNIndia) July 30, 2024
About Norman Pritchard
For the curious, India’s Olympic journey began in 1900 with Norman Pritchard, a man of contested identity, who won the country’s first medal.
Born in Calcutta (now Kolkata) during theBritish rule, Pritchard officially participated in the Paris Games in 1900, the second edition of the Summer Olympics, on an Indian passport and birth certificate.
He won silver medals in the 200-metre sprint and 200-metre hurdles events. He was the first Asia-born athlete to win an Olympic medal, the first Olympian to act in Hollywood (under the screen name Norman Trevor), and the first to score a hat-trick in an official football match on Indian soil in 1897.
The debate over his identity resurfaced in 2000 when British Olympic historian Ian Buchanan suggested that Pritchard’s medals should be credited to Great Britain, citing his birth in British India.
Despite the controversy, the International Olympic Committee lists Pritchard as an Indian.
Pritchard was born in then Calcutta in 1875 and died in Los Angeles in 1929 at the age of 54.
“Norman Pritchard is a controversial Olympian in that he is claimed by both Britain and India as having competed for them at the 1900 Olympics,” according to ‘Olympics.com’ website.
Parents
Born on April 23, 1875, to British parents, George Petersen Pritchard and Helen Maynard, Pritchard studied at St. Xavier’s College and began his sports career in India before moving to England in 1905. He later moved to the US to pursue acting. Nothing is known about his relationship status or wife.
Outside the Olympics, one of his significant achievements was the 100-yard run on grass in 1899 in Calcutta, matching the world’s best record of 9.8 seconds. He was versatile, excelling in football, rugby, and various track events.
Before the Paris Games, Pritchard was accepted into the London Athletic Club, winning several trophies and defeating the British AAA champion. He competed in the AAA championship, considered the Olympic qualifiers, and was chosen to represent Great Britain at the Olympics.
Norman Pritchard’s Olympics Performance
At the 1900 Games, Pritchard won silver medals in both the 200-metre and 200-metre hurdles events.
After returning to India, he transitioned into sports administration, serving as the secretary of the Indian Football Association from 1900 to 1902 before leaving India in 1905.
Despite the confusion over his representation, Pritchard was referred to as “the Indian champion” and competed as a member of both the Bengal Presidency Athletic Club of India and the London Athletic Club.
Acting Career
Pritchard’s acting career began in London and later moved to Broadway and Hollywood. He appeared in 26 plays and 27 films, starting with “After Dark” in 1915 and ending with “Tonight at Twelve” in 1929, the year he died of a suspected brain malady, possibly Alzheimer’s disease.
According to a New York Times obituary, Pritchard’s daughter Dorothy was living in New York when he died, but her subsequent fate remains unknown.
ALSO READ: Watch skateboarder Rayssa Leal praises Jesus Christ in sign language and quotes John 14:6