Norman Pritchard: Colonised India's first athlete to win 2 medals in same Olympics

NEW DELHI: His name crops up consistently when an Indian touches a landmark in Olympics. On Tuesday, British-Indian Norman Pritchard was trending again when Manu Bhaker became the country's first athlete in the post-independence era to win two Games medals in a single edition.

Why?

Because Pritchard had done it pre-independence in the 1900 edition, which also took place in Paris, by winning silver medals in 200m sprint and 200m hurdles.

While the International Olympic Committee (IOC) lists him as an Indian, World Athletics (formerly IAAF) credits his Olympic medals to Britain.

Pritchard was born in then Calcutta in 1875 and died in Los Angeles in 1929 at the age of 54.

The IOC acknowledges that the question of his nationality is not a very simple one to answer.

"Norman Pritchard is a controversial Olympian in that he is claimed by both Britain and India as having competed for them at the 1900 Olympics," according to 'Olympics.com' website.

"Although not a match for the best athletes at the 1900 Olympics, he was a solid sprinter and hurdler, winning the Bengal 100 yards title for seven consecutive years (1894-1900) and was also Bengal champion at 440 yards and 120y hurdles, which would lend support to the Indian claim," it goes on to say.

According to noted British Olympic historian Ian Buchanan, Pritchard was a member of an old colonial family and although he was born in India, he was "indisputably British".

He is also often described as the first Asian-born athlete to win an Olympic medal.

Pritchard moved to the United States soon after that medal-winning performance to pursue a career in acting and appeared in 27 silent Hollywood movies under the screen name Norman Trevor.

In the IAAF Statistical Handbook issued in 2019, Pritchard's silver medals were credited to Great Britain.

The Athletics Federation of India (AFI), on its part, has included him in the Indian athletics' 'Hall of Fame'.

"He returned to India but permanently moved to England in 1905. Later, he shifted to the US to make a mark in Hollywood and acted in quite a few films there, taking a new name as Norman Trevor," says its note on the late athlete.

"A man with two names in one lifetime is uncommon in athletics, but Pritchard is celebrated by many as the first Indian to win an Olympic medal."

Noted Indian athletics statistician Murali Krishnan -- a member of the International Society of Olympic Historians -- said that it's now settled that Pritchard competed as an Indian "because the IOC attributes those medals to India".

"His name being entered as an athlete from GBR might have something to do with the fact that headquarters of the athletics world body was at one time located in London before being shifted to Monaco," he said.