{{Short description|British racewalker}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Use British English|date=April 2025}} {{Infobox sportsperson | name = Stan Vickers | image = | caption = | nationality = British (English) | sport = Athletics | event = racewalking | club = Belgrave Harriers | birth_date = 18 June 1932 | birth_place = Lewisham, England | death_date = 17 April 2013 (aged 80) | death_place = Seaford, England | height =185 cm | weight =60 kg | medaltemplates= {{MedalSport | Men's athletics}} {{MedalCountry | {{GBR2}} }} {{MedalCompetition|Olympic Games}} {{MedalBronze | 1960 Rome | 20 km Walk}} {{MedalCompetition|European Championships}} {{MedalGold|1958 Stockholm|20 km walk}} }}
'''Stanley Frank Vickers''' (18 June 1932 – 17 April 2013) was British athlete who competed at the 1956 Summer Olympics and the 1960 Summer Olympics.<ref>{{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/vi/stan-vickers-1.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417173310/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/vi/stan-vickers-1.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2020-04-17}}</ref>
== Biography == Vickers was born in Lewisham and was a member of the Belgrave Harriers.<ref name=oly>{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/69552 |title=Biographical Information |website=Olympedia |access-date=27 April 2025}}</ref>
Vickers finished second behind George Coleman in the 7 miles walk event at the 1956 AAA Championships.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000681/19560714/159/0008 |title=Brian looking for peace and quiet |work=Daily Herald |date=14 July 1956 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=27 April 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0005475/19560716/008/0008 |title=Fine performance by Farrell in AAA hurdles |work=Liverpool Daily Post |date=15 July 1956 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=27 April 2025}}</ref> The following year he became the British 10,000 metres walk champion and the British 2 miles walk champion after winning both AAA Championships titles at the 1957 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=27 April 2025}}</ref>
He repeated the feat at the 1958 AAA Championships,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0004341/19600722/252/0004 |title=Stan Lays his Ghosts in U.K. Record walk |work=Sydenham, Forest Hill & Penge Gazette |p=4 |date=22 July 1960 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=27 September 2025}}</ref> cementing his reputation as the leading racewalker in Britain at the time.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gbrathletics.com/bc/aaa.htm |title=AAA Championships (men) |website=GBR Athletics |access-date=27 April 2025}}</ref> One month later he won the gold medal at the 1958 European Athletics Championships in Stockholm, in the 20km walk event.
Vickers won a final AAA title over 2 miles at the 1960 AAA Championships. Shortly afterwards at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome, he represented Great Britain in the 20 kilometre walk held in Rome, Italy, where he won the bronze medal.<ref name=oly/> After the race, he sat down to rest and was carried off by an ambulance crew that thought he was sick. The crew did not speak English. Several hours passed before officials discovered what had happened.<ref>{{cite book|last=Nash|first=Bruce M|author2=Allan Zullo |title=Bruce Nash & Allan Zullo's sports hall of shame : golf cartoon classics.|publisher=Tribune Pub|location=Orlando|date=1993|page=54|isbn= 0-941263-76-2|oclc=31935029}}</ref>
Vickers worked at the London Stock Exchange. He died on 19 April 2013 at the age of 80.<ref name=oly/>
== References == {{Reflist}}
{{Footer European Champions 20 km Walk Men}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Vickers, Stanley}} Category:1932 births Category:2013 deaths Category:English men race walkers Category:British men race walkers Category:Olympic bronze medallists for Great Britain Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1956 Summer Olympics Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1960 Summer Olympics Category:Olympic athletes for Great Britain Category:European Athletics Championships medalists Category:People from Lewisham Category:Athletes from the London Borough of Lewisham Category:Medalists at the 1960 Summer Olympics Category:Olympic bronze medalists in athletics Category:English Olympic competitors Category:20th-century English sportsmen