{{Short description|British athlete (1926–1988)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Use British English|date=April 2025}} {{Infobox sportsperson | name = Ron Pavitt | image = | caption = | nationality = British (English) | sport = Athletics | event = High jump | club = Polytechnic Harriers | birth_date = {{birth date|1926|9|15|df=yes}} | birth_place = Hammersmith, London, England | death_date = {{death date and age|1988|1|31|1926|9|15|df=yes}} | death_place = Watford, England | height =186 cm | weight =75 kg }}
'''Ronald Cecil John Pavitt''' (15 September 1926 – 31 January 1988) was a British athlete who competed in the men's high jump at the 1948 Summer Olympics and the 1952 Summer Olympics.<ref name="SportsRef">{{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/pa/ron-pavitt-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418035716/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/pa/ron-pavitt-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 April 2020 |title=Ron Pavitt Olympic Results |access-date=27 December 2017}}</ref>
== Biography == In 1944, Pavitt won the AAA Southern Area junior title and in 1946 won the two titles at the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Championship. Pavitt was a radio mechanic with the Royal Navy Air Command at the time but would later work for Lyons food.<ref name=Oly>{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/68775 |title=Biographical Information |website=Olympedia |access-date=6 April 2025}}</ref> Additionally in 1946 he finished second behind Alan Paterson in the high jump event at the 1946 AAA Championships.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000681/19460720/064/0004 |title=Swede first to win AAA title |work=Daily Herald |date=20 July 1946 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=7 April 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003214/19460722/122/0004 |title=AAA results |work=Daily News (London) |date=22 July 1946 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=7 April 2025}}</ref> Pavitt finished second again, this time behind Adegboyega Adedoyin at the 1947 AAA Championships.<ref name=Nuts>{{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=7 April 2025}}</ref>
Pavitt represented the Great Britain team at the 1948 Olympic Games in London<ref name=Oly/> before finishing second for the third and fourth time at the 1949 AAA Championships and 1950 AAA Championships, Alan Paterson proving his nemesis again on both occasions.<ref name=Nuts/>
Pavitt represented the England team in the high jump at the 1950 British Empire Games in Auckland, New Zealand<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thecgf.com/results/athletes/38742|title=Athletes and results|publisher=Commonwealth Games Federation}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://teamengland.org/commonwealth-games-history/auckland-1950/athletes|title=1950 Athletes|publisher=Team England}}</ref> and later that summer finally became British high jump champion after winning the British AAA Championships title at the 1950 AAA Championships.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gbrathletics.com/bc/aaa.htm |title=AAA Championships (men) |website=GBR Athletics |access-date=7 April 2025}}</ref>
Pavitt retained his AAA title at the 1951 AAA Championships<ref name=Nuts/> before being selected for his second Olympics. He represented the Great Britain team at the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki, finishing fifth and missing a medal by just 3cm.<ref name=Oly/>
== References == {{Reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Pavitt, Ron}} Category:1926 births Category:1988 deaths Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1948 Summer Olympics Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1952 Summer Olympics Category:British men high jumpers Category:Olympic athletes for Great Britain Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1950 British Empire Games Category:Commonwealth Games athletes for England Category:People from Hammersmith Category:Athletes from the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham Category:English men high jumpers Category:20th-century English sportsmen