Frederick Richard GABY

A useful sprinter before the war, Fred Gaby was persuaded to take up hurdling in 1919 by the noted coach, Sam Mussabini. In eight international matches Gaby won the high hurdles five times and in his two Olympic appearances he was a semi-finalist in 1924 and finalist in 1928. He dominated the domestic scene for many years and won the AAA title five times (1922-23, 1925-27) and was second three times. He also won the “closed” English AAA title in the only three years it was held, 1923-25. On his championship début in 1921 he fell at the last hurdle in his heat when leading the ultimate winner, Henri Bernhard (FRA), and on his last final appearance in 1930, at the age of 35, he placed second to Lord Burghley. He closed his career with a bronze medal at the 1930 British Empire Games. He was the English AAA champion in each of the three years the Championships were held (1923-25) and a three-time winner in the Triangular International match (1921, 1925-26). He also had a record seven victories at the Kinnaird Meeting (1920-25, 1927). After serving as an airman in World War I, Gaby joined the Civil Service and a posting to the North of England, where the absence of his coach, Sam Mussabini, and of adequate training facilities, proved a major setback in his preparations for the 1924 Olympics. A one-time Post Office engineer, he later became a shoe repairer and the family shop at Parson’s Green, known simply as “Gaby’s”, was still in business at the time of his death.

Personal Best: 110H – 14.9 (1927/28).