Race walker who competed on the 1956 and 1960 Olympics for Britain has handed away aged 89

Certainly one of Britain’s best race walkers throughout a golden period for the self-discipline, Eric Corridor represented his nation in two Olympics and was a member of Belgrave Harriers for a staggering 73 years.

Corridor was additionally Belgrave’s oldest member when he died on March 20 aged 89 after a interval of declining well being.

Corridor developed his urge for food for race strolling by going for lengthy walks along with his household on Sunday afternoons. As an adolescent he started coaching with aggressive race walkers and was impressed by the 1948 Olympics in London.

Leaving faculty he began a lifelong job outdoors athletics as a customs and excise officer however after rising by way of the ranks as a race walker he took three weeks of unpaid depart from work in 1956 to attempt to make that yr’s Melbourne Olympics.

Solely 24, he completed runner-up to Don Thompson within the Nationwide 50km and later that yr on a sizzling day in Melbourne completed ninth.

In 1957 he grew to become the primary Belgravian to win the Race Strolling Affiliation Nationwide 20 miles title however in 1958 he was controversially overlooked of the British workforce for the European Championships in Stockholm.

Corridor completed runner-up to his buddy and coaching companion Stan Vickers on the trial and Vickers went on to win gold in Stockholm by practically two minutes whereas Corridor was left at residence.

On the Rome Video games in 1960 Corridor had one other shot on the Olympics and this time accomplished within the 20km occasion, inserting tenth as Vickers took bronze.

It was a golden period for British race strolling too as Thompson famously took gold within the 50km in Rome with Ken Matthews profitable one other Olympic race walks title – this time over 20km – 4 years later in Tokyo.

Corridor was elected a life member of Belgrave Harriers in 1957 and was named president in 1999.

In an in depth tribute, which you’ll learn right here, Belgrave mentioned: “Very a few years in the past Jack Crump, the Secretary of the British Beginner Athletic Board, discovered trigger to say of Eric that he was ‘Gentlemanly, modest, temperamentally and technically an ideal walker’.

“Properly over 60 years later we can’t solely verify these qualities however add that Eric was beneficiant within the excessive and a fantastic buddy to many, in all walks of our membership and sport.”

Corridor leaves behind his spouse of 63 years, Mavis, kids Sharon and Alistair and granddaughters Brittany and Katelyn.

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