{{Short description|British athlete (1910–1988)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2021}} {{Use British English|date=May 2012}} {{Infobox person | name = Freddie Wolff | image = Frederick Wolff in 1952.jpg | caption = Wolff in 1952 | birth_date = {{birth date |df=yes|1910|10|13}} | birth_place = British Hong Kong | death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1988|01|26|1910|10|13}} | death_place = Marylebone, London, U.K. | alma_mater = Beaumont College | occupation = Athlete | known_for = Gold Medal Olympian | spouse = Natalie Winefred Virginia Byrne | children = 5 | relatives = }} {{MedalTableTop|name=no|medals= {{MedalSport|Men's athletics}} {{MedalCountry|{{GBR2}}}} {{MedalCompetition|Olympic Games}} {{MedalGold|1936 Berlin|4 × 400 m relay}} }}
'''Frederick Ferdinand Wolff''', CBE, TD (13 October 1910 – 26 January 1988) was a British athlete, winner of gold medal in 4 × 400 m relay at the 1936 Summer Olympics.<ref>{{cite book | title= Chasing Gold | publisher= Getty Images | year= 2005 | isbn= 0-901662-02-X | page= 176}}</ref>
== Early life == On 13 October 1910, Wolff was born in British Hong Kong, the eldest son of a family of four children. Wolff was a member of the Kowloon Cricket Club, where he won his first race in 1919.<ref name=SR/>
Wolff and his family returned to England. Wolff attended Shirley House Preparatory School and Beaumont College in Windsor, England.<ref name=SR>[https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/wo/freddie-wolff-1.html Freddie Wolff] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104163433/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/wo/freddie-wolff-1.html |date=4 November 2012 }}. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2015-01-23.</ref>
== Career == Wolff became the national 440 yards champion after winning the British AAA Championships title at the 1933 AAA Championships.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000320/19330708/062/0006 |title=Amateur titles contested |work=Gloucestershire Echo |date=8 July 1933 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=11 January 2025 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000681/19330710/227/0014 |title=Finn's brilliant 3 miles : Our athletes shine |work=Daily Herald |date=10 July 1933 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=11 January 2025 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nuts.org.uk/Champs/AAA/index.htm |title=AAA, WAAA and National Championships Medallists |website=National Union of Track Statisticians |access-date=11 January 2025 }}</ref>
At the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games, Wolff ran the opening leg in the British 4 × 400 m relay team, which won the gold medal with a new European record of 3:09.0.
In 1929, Wolff joined the family firm Rudolf Wolff & Co. In the Second World War, Wolff served in the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry and was promoted to the rank of captain.<ref>{{cite book | title= The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry War Chronicle 1942-1944 | publisher= Gale and Polden Limited. | year = 1951 | page=382 }}</ref> Wolff rejoined Rudolf Wolff & Co. in 1946, and became a partner in 1951.
From 1970 to 1977 Wolff became the Committee Chairman of the London Metal Exchange helping establishing the LME's international reputation. He was made a CBE in 1975.<ref>{{cite book | title= Wolff's Guide to the London Metal Exchange | publisher= Metal Bulletin Books Limited | year= 1980|edition=2nd | isbn= 0-900542-43-8 | page= 320 }}</ref>
Wolff was the chairman of the Handicapped Children's Pilgrimage Trust.<ref name="espn_Daniel"/>
== Personal life == Wolff married Natalie Winefred Virginia Byrne, the daughter of Ferdinand and Mary (née Keith) Byrne. Wolff had five children: Jennifer, John, Carolyn, Richard (twin) and Christine (twin).
Also 22 Grandchildren: Michael, Philippa, Michele, Clare, Natalie, Timothy, Madeleine, Catherine, Paul, Anna, Suzie, Mark, Christianne, Lucinda, Fred, John, Nikki, Monica, Sebastian, Andrew, Luke, Marie-Francoise.
On 26 January 1988, Wolff died in Marylebone, London, United Kingdom. He was 77.<ref name=SR/> The British Olympic Association held a reception at the Buckingham Palace for all surviving British Olympic medalists on the day he died.<ref name=SR/>
In 2015, Wolff's great-grandson Daniel Wolff competed in the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Los Angeles. His disability was autism.<ref name="espn_Daniel">{{Cite web|url = http://en.espn.co.uk/olympic-sports/sport/story/380735.html|title = Wolff on hunt for family Olympic gold|date = 2 January 2015|access-date = 24 July 2015|publisher = ESPN|last = Perry|first = Alex}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{Sports-Reference|wo/freddie-wolff-1}} * {{Olympics.com profile|frederick-ferdinand-wolff|Frederick Ferdinand Wolff}} * [http://calbears.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3MKT/is_n18_v96/ai_6297533/ Freddy Wolff obituary, American Metal Market 27 January 1988, Managing Director and Chairman of Rudolf Wolff & Co. and Chairman of the LME]{{dead link|date=May 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
{{Footer Olympic Champions 4x400 m Men|1936}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Wolff, Freddie}} Category:1910 births Category:1988 deaths Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1936 Summer Olympics Category:Olympic athletes for Great Britain Category:English Olympic competitors Category:Olympic gold medallists for Great Britain Category:English men sprinters Category:British men sprinters Category:Hong Kong emigrants to England Category:Medalists at the 1936 Summer Olympics Category:Olympic gold medalists in athletics Category:British expatriates in Hong Kong Category:British Army personnel of World War II Category:Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry officers Category:20th-century English sportsmen Category:Sportspeople of Hong Kong descent