Rex Woods (athlete)

Rex Salisbury Woods MD, FRCS, (15 October 1891– 21 September 1986) was a British track and field athlete, who represented Great Britain in three Olympic Games.

Early life

Rex Salisbury Woods was educated at Dulwich College. From there he won an exhibition to Downing College, Cambridge, where he excelled academically and gained a first class tripos and from where he won a senior university entrance scholarship to St George's Hospital. After graduating in medicine in 1916, he won a research scholarship at St George's. He fulfilled a number of house appointments at St George's and eventually became a surgical registrar at the hospital.

Athletics

Rex Woods competed in the shot put for Cambridge vs. Oxford four times (1912–14, 1920) and was the winner on the last two occasions. His first attempt at the AAA Championships was in 1912 when he finished fourth. Woods first represented Britain at the shot putt at the Olympic Games whilst president of the Cambridge University Athletic Club. Standing 6'0" (182 cm) and weighing 172 lbs (78 kg), Woods was not large by later standards for a shot putter. He later became honorary treasurer of the Cambridge University Athletic Club from 1919 to 1939, and was chairman from 1939 to 1952. He won the AAA Championships shotput title in 1924 and 1926 and represented Great Britain at the Olympic Games in 1924 and 1928. His last appearance at the AAA championships was in 1928 when he finished second. During his involvement with athletics at Cambridge he managed the Oxford/ Cambridge athletic tours of the United States from 1925 to 1949. Aside from the University of Cambridge, he was also affiliated to the Achilles Club.