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British record of 48.4 seconds for the 440 yards that was not broken for 25 years. His Scottish record for the 300 yards was not beaten until 1961 by future MP Menzies Campbell.
Selected for the 400 metres at the 1908 London Olympics, Halswelle was the fastest qualifier with an Olympic record and, in the final, was up against three Americans. In those days, the event was not run in lanes, so the Americans were able to effectively ‘gang up’ on Halswelle, with John Carpenter forcing him wider and wider on the final bend to the very outside edge of the track. The judges declared the race void, disqualified Carpenter and rescheduled the race for two days later. On the morning of the final, the other two Americans refused to take part in solidarity with Carpenter, so Halswelle ran the race on his own. Strolling home in a respectable 50.2 seconds, this remains the only Olympic athletics final won by a walkover.
The controversy tainted Halswelle’s view of athletics, and his commanding officer advised him to concentrate on his army career. Retiring from the track in 1908, he remained with his regiment, accompanying them to France in 1914. Captain Wyndham Halswelle was wounded during the Battle of Neuve Chapelle on 12th March 1915. He refused to be evacuated and was shot by a sniper on 31st March while attempting to rescue a wounded brother officer. Awarded a posthumous MiD, he is buried near Armentières. The Royal Highland Fusiliers, successor to the Highland Light Infantry, presented the Wyndham Halswelle Memorial Trophy to the winner of the 400 metres at the annual Scottish U20 athletics championships.
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