Robert Ian Brightwell MBE is a former track and field athlete. Brightwell was born in Rawalpindi, British India, but moved to the UK with his family in 1946 and grew up in Donnington, Shropshire. He gained his athletic training at Shrewsbury Technical College and went on to become a sportsmaster at Tiffin Boys' School in Surrey, England. He was known for his quarter-mile running races, with his first major race taking place during 1961. He broke the British record for 440 yards as well as the European 400 metres record . During the Olympic Games held in Tokyo 10 to 24 October 1964, he was captain of the men's British Olympic Team. Running the final stage in the men's 4 x 400 metres relay, he passed Wendell Mottley of Trinidad & Tobago to finish second to Henry Carr of the USA. In the individual 400 metres he finished fourth. His fianc�e at that time was Ann Packer who won a gold medal in the women's 800 metres on the day after the men's individual 400 metres final. After winning a silver medal in the 400 metres Packer had no plans to run in the 800 metres and had a shopping trip planned until Brightwell's disappointing 400 metres. 

October 27th, 1939 in Rawalpindi  /  Died:   Mar 6th, 2022