{{Short description|British sprinter (1940–2020)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2025}} {{Use British English|date=May 2025}} {{Infobox sportsperson | name = Malcolm Yardley | image = | caption = | nationality = British (English) | sport = Athletics | event = Sprinting/400m | club = Birchfield Harriers | birth_date = 23 December 1940 | birth_place = Oldham, England | death_date = {{death date and age|2020|3|17|1940|12|23|df=yes}} | death_place = | height =170 cm | weight = 65 kg }}
'''Harold Malcolm Yardley''' (23 December 1940 – 17 March 2020)<ref name="be">{{cite web|url=https://www.burnleyexpress.net/sport/other-sport/tribute-former-olympic-sprinter-malcolm-yardley-who-has-passed-away-aged-79-2501466 |title=Tribute to former Olympic sprinter Malcolm Yardley, who has passed away aged 79 |work=Burnley Express |date=19 March 2020 |access-date=16 May 2022}}</ref><ref name="na">{{cite web|url=https://www.northernathletics.co.uk/2020/03/20/malcolm-yardley/ |title=Malcolm Yardley |work=Northern Athletics |access-date=16 May 2022}}</ref> was a British sprinter. He competed in the men's 400 metres at the 1960 Summer Olympics.<ref name="SportsRef">{{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ya/malcolm-yardley-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418042848/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ya/malcolm-yardley-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 April 2020 |title=Malcolm Yardley Olympic Results |access-date=31 July 2017}}</ref><ref name="oly">{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/69622 |title=Malcolm Yardley |work=Olympedia |access-date=16 May 2022}}</ref>
== Biography == Yardley was born in Oldham in 1940 and was raised in Coventry.<ref name="TGB">{{cite web|url=https://www.teamgb.com/athlete/malcolm-yardley/7ekItlY2RCCMuhdM3MhQwm |title=Malcolm Yardley |work=Team GB |access-date=16 May 2022}}</ref> During World War II, his house was destroyed during the Blitz, with his family moving to Leicester.<ref name="TGB"/> At school, he played cricket, football and rugby, but excelled at athletics.<ref name="be"/> In 1959, at the age of 18, Yardley made his international debut for Great Britain.<ref name="TGB"/>
At the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Yardley competed in two events.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/6231510.harriers-thrower-henton-honoured/ |title=Harriers thrower Henton is honoured |work=Lancashire Telegraph |date=8 December 2005 |access-date=16 May 2022}}</ref> He was part of the British team that finished fifth in the men's 4 × 400 metres relay,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/results/59763 |title=4 x 400 metres Relay, Men |work=Olympedia |access-date=16 May 2022}}</ref> and the men's 400 metres, where he reached the quarter-finals.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/results/59661 |title=400 metres, Men |work=Olympedia |access-date=16 May 2022}}</ref> The following year, along with Adrian Metcalfe, Barry Jackson and Robbie Brightwell, Yardley was part of the number-one ranked 4x400 quartet in the world.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.lowerhousecc.com/sad-news-malcolm-yardley/ |title=Sad news – Malcolm Yardley |work=Lower House Cricket Club |access-date=16 May 2022}}</ref> However, he missed out on competing at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo and the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City due to injury.<ref name="na"/>
Yardley was part of the Birchfield Harriers,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.anentscottishrunning.com/the-international-athlete/ |title=The International Athlete |work=Anent Scottish Running |access-date=16 May 2022}}</ref> before moving to the Blackburn Harriers,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.blackburnharriers.co.uk/remembering-malcolm-yardley/ |title=Remembering Malcolm Yardley |work=Blackburn Harriers |access-date=16 May 2022}}</ref> and gaining selection to compete at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh.<ref name="na"/> He competed in the men's 400 metres but did not get out of the heats.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://thecgf.com/results/games/3037/event/1619 |title=Athletics 400m - Men Edinburgh 1970 |work=Commonwealth Games Federation |access-date=16 May 2022 |archive-date=25 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220425080943/https://thecgf.com/results/games/3037/event/1619 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Yardley twice finished on the podium at the AAA Championships in the 440 yards event at the 1959 AAA Championships<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003359/19590712/194/0012 |title=Barefooted Bruce kicks out stars |work=Weekly Dispatch (London) |date=12 July 1959 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=3 May 2025}}</ref> and 1960 AAA Championships.<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=3 May 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gbrathletics.com/bc/aaa.htm |title=AAA Championships (men) |website=GBR Athletics |access-date=3 May 2025}}</ref> and much later finished runner-up to David Dear in the 200 metres at the 1969 AAA Championships.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000729/19690803/157/0015 |title=White City results |work=The People |date=3 August 1969 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=11 May 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000324/19690802/016/0016 |title=Shock victory by Irish middle-distance man |work=Hull Daily Mail |date=2 August 1969 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=11 May 2025}}</ref>
Outside of athletics, Yardley was also the captain and manager of Lowerhouse Cricket Club in Burnley.<ref name="oly"/> He had training programmes with several local clubs in the North West of England, including Rochdale, Bury and Blackpool.<ref name="oly"/> In the late 1960s, Yardley also set up a sports shop in Burnley, with players from the football team coming along.<ref name="be"/>
Yardley died in March 2020 at the age of 79, following a short illness.<ref name="be"/> At the time of his death, he still held the Blackburn Harriers' records in the 100, 200 and 400 metres.<ref name="be"/> Yardley was remembered at the In Memoriam section of the 2020 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/sports-personality/55363864 |title=Sports Personality of the Year 2020: Remembering the stars we have lost |work=BBC Sport |date=20 December 2020 |access-date=16 May 2022}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{sports links}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Yardley, Malcolm}} Category:1940 births Category:2020 deaths Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1960 Summer Olympics Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games Category:British men sprinters Category:Olympic athletes for Great Britain Category:Sportspeople from Oldham Category:Commonwealth Games athletes for England Category:Athletes from Leicester