Eric Liddell was born on January 16, 1902 in Tientsin, China, where his father was a missionary. In 1907, his family returned to their original home in Scotland.

In 1921, Liddell entered Edinburgh University and was persuaded to go out for sports, making his mark initially on the rubgy field, then going on the the 100-yd dash. As a runner, his style, though unorthodox, proved effective. Contmporary reports describe him running "head towards Heaven, body in a backward lean."

Liddell was a devout Christian who would not run on Sundays. For this reason, he would drop out of the 100 and the relays in the 1924 Paris Olympics. On the Sunday of the 100-meters heats, Liddell gave a sermon at a Scottish church in Paris.

On July 12, 1924, Liddell finished third in the 200 meters. The "Flying Scot" would leave his lasting mark in the 400-meters. Liddell, running from the outside lane, ran the the first half of the race in a blistering pace (22.2) and increased his lead to win by more than five meters with an Olympic record time of 47.6

He returned to Scotland a hero. Liddell returned to China to join his father in missionary work. In 1945, he died of a brain tumor in a Japanese internment camp during World War II.