On this slow summer Sunday let’s pick up the pace a bit with a centennial tribute to Olympian Eric Liddell.
Liddell’s legend lives on less in his home country of Scotland than on the big screen.
As the God-fearing star of the Oscar-winning Chariots of Fire.
The film which chronicled his and fellow British sprinter Harold Abrahams at the 1924 Paris Olympics.
With Liddell entering the pantheon of sporting greats by winning the 400m gold.
But only after sacrificing his place in his favoured event of the 100m.
Because it would have involved him having to run on a Sunday, the Lord’s day.
Bring Eric into the open
Now you would imagine that such heroism would have earned Liddell a permanent podium in a town square.
But, of course, this prophet in his own land was overlooked for the usual slavers and empire builders who look down on us from plinths.
And the Flying Scotsman is hidden away in Eltham College (no, us neither).
And hidden inside his alma mater of Edinburgh University.
Also as a stained glass window in a church in Holy Corner in Morningside in the Scottish capital.
Paris revisited
The great sprinter will no doubt be eulogised by commentators in the City of Light to inspire our Paris 2024 hopefuls.
Without a mention that China, who will no doubt be pilloried by our Little Britainers, pay more homage to Liddell than we do.
And there is a statue of Liddell at his Japanese internment camp in China.
With the People’s Republic even claiming the Chinese-born Liddell as their first Olympic champion.
With a memorial to the Scot who lies there for eternity having died doing missionary work in the Far East.
It might be worth reflecting that the original Olympians in Hellas performed for the greater glory of the Gods.
While today’s athletes compete for greater riches, clicks and social media followers.
The OG Olympians
Those OG (as the Gen Z millennials) Olympians in Greece would call them became immortalised in statue.
And wouldn’t it be fitting then as a centennial tribute to Olympian Eric Liddell?
To erect a town square statue to a real Edinburgh hero… and we salute the sterling work of the steering group The Eric Liddell 100.
And God knows, there is no shortage of redundant erections around the city which we could start ripping down now.