Cecil Matthews

For the Archdeacon of Leicester, see Cecil Matthews (priest).

Cecil Matthews

Personal information
Birth name	Cecil Henry Matthews
Born	(1914-10-13)13 October 1914 Christchurch, New Zealand
Died	8 November 1987(1987-11-08) (aged 73) Auckland, New Zealand
Achievements and titles
National finals	3 miles champion (1936, 1938)
Medal record Men's Athletics Representing New Zealand British Empire Games 1938 Sydney 3 miles 1938 Sydney 6 miles

Cecil Henry Matthews (13 October 1914 – 8 November 1987) was a New Zealand long distance runner from Canterbury, who represented New Zealand at the 1936 Summer Olympics at Berlin and New Zealand at the 1938 British Empire Games at Sydney.

At the 1936 Summer Olympics he was eliminated from the 5000 metre event, finishing seventh in his heat, and was scratched from the 10,000 metres. He had tendon problems (like Pat Boot, who also had a disappointing result at Berlin), from running on the decks of the Wanganella.

At the 1938 British Empire Games he won two gold medals, in the three-mile (5 km) race where he beat Peter Ward, and the six-mile (10 km) event (although he had no experience at this distance, which did not appear on the New Zealand programme until 1948).

Matthews twice won the New Zealand national 3 miles title, in 1936 and 1938.

He was born in Christchurch. He served in the Air Force in World War II, then moved to Auckland where he died.

External links

• sports-reference.com
• Photo of C. H. Matthews finishing three mile trial for Empire Games c1938

References

• McMillan, Neville (1993). New Zealand Sporting Legends: 27 Pre-War Sporting Heroes. Auckland: Moa Beckett. pp. 98–101. ISBN 1-869580-14-1.