Jonathan Edwards (1966- )

British triple-jumper, and the first in the world to exceed 18 m (59 ft). Born in Westminster, London, he is the son of a vicar, and, as a devout Christian, refused for many years to compete on a Sunday. He came to prominence in August 1995 when he won the World Championship title in Gothenburg, Sweden, setting world records with two successive jumps of 18.16 m (59 ft 7 in) and 18.29 m (60 ft). He became the first field-event athlete of all time to break the world record in two successive attempts and the first triple-jumper to break the 18 m (59 ft) barrier. Earlier in 1995, Edwards set a world record of 17.98 m (58 ft 11 in) in Salamanca, Spain, and with the help of a following wind jumped 18.43 m (60 ft 6 in) in the European Cup, which he won.

He also won silver medals in the 1996 Olympic Games and the 1997 World Championships, before finishing first in the 1998 European Championships with a championship record. At the 1999 World Championships in Seville, Spain, Edwards was disappointed at only coming third in the triple jump competition, but he won gold medals at the 2000 Olympic Games and at the 2001 World Championships.

Eric Liddell (1902-1945)

The son of Scottish missionaries, Liddell was born in China. His family returned to Scotland when he was five years old. A gifted athlete, he excelled at rugby as well as running. He first gained national recognition by winning the 100- and 200-metre runs at the Amateur Athletic Association championships in 1923. At the 1924 Olympics, Liddell, a devout Christian, dropped out of the 100-metre competition--his strongest event--because the final was scheduled for a Sunday. Instead, he trained for the 200- and 400-metre runs. At the Games, he finished third in the 200-metre run and turned in a remarkable performance to win the 400 metres in a world record time of 47.6 sec.

A year after the Olympic Games, Liddell returned to China to do missionary work with his father. He died of a brain tumour in 1945. The experiences of Liddell and his teammate Harold Abrahams were portrayed in the film Chariots of Fire (1981).

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