Tim Anderson (athlete)

{{Short description|British pole vaulter (1925–2017)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Use British English|date=April 2025}} {{Infobox sportsperson | headercolor = | name = Tim Anderson | image = | image_size =  | caption = | nationality = British (English) | birth_date = 16 October 1925 | birth_place = Croydon, London | death_date = {{death date and age|2017|9|22|1925|10|16|df=yes}}<ref name="FindAGrave">{{Find a Grave|211418353}}</ref> | death_place = | sport = Athletics | event = pole vault | height = | weight = | universityteam = Cambridge University AC | club = Achilles Club | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | Athletics}} {{MedalCountry | {{ENG}} }} {{MedalCompetition|British Empire Games}} {{MedalGold| 1950 Auckland|Pole Vault}} }}

'''Timothy Donald Anderson''' (16 October 1925 – 22 September 2017) was a British pole vaulter who competed in the 1952 Summer Olympics.<ref name=sref>{{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/an/tim-anderson-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418041119/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/an/tim-anderson-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 April 2020 |accessdate=13 May 2012}}</ref>

== Biography == Anderson was educated at Malvern College and Clare College, Cambridge. He twice won the Southern Athletics Championship and the Universities' Athletic Union (UAU) Championships in 1948 and 1949.<ref name=oly>{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/68840 |title=Biographical Information |website=Olympedia |access-date=12 April 2025}}</ref>

Anderson finished third behind Richard Webster in the pole vault event at the 1948 AAA Championships and third behind Peter Harwood in the pole vault event at the 1949 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=13 April 2025}}</ref>

Anderson represented the England athletics team at the 1950 British Empire Games in Auckland, New Zealand, winning the gold medal in the pole vault competition.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thecgf.com/results/athletes/39473|title=Athletes and results|publisher=Commonwealth Games Federation|access-date=17 July 2019|archive-date=12 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412120108/https://thecgf.com/results/athletes/39473|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://teamengland.org/commonwealth-games-history/auckland-1950/athletes|title=1950 Athletes|publisher=Team England}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://teamengland.org/commonwealth-games-history/auckland-1950/athletes |title=Auckland 1950 Team |website=Team England |access-date=13 April 2025}}</ref>

Several months later, by virtue of being the highest placed British athlete behind Rudy Stjernild at the 1950 AAA Championships, he was considered to be the British pole vault champion.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gbrathletics.com/bc/aaa.htm |title=AAA Championships (men) |website=GBR Athletics |access-date=13 April 2025}}</ref>

Another second place ensued at the 1952 AAA Championships, this time behind Geoff Elliott.<ref name=Nuts/> Shortly afterwards he represented the Great Britain team at the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki.<ref name=oly/>

== References == {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Anderson, Tim}} Category:1925 births Category:2017 deaths Category:People from Croydon Category:Athletes from the London Borough of Croydon Category:English men pole vaulters Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists for England Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1950 British Empire Games Category:Olympic athletes for Great Britain Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1952 Summer Olympics Category:Medallists at the 1950 British Empire Games Category:20th-century English sportsmen Category:People educated at Malvern College Category:Alumni of Clare College, Cambridge Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists in athletics