William Knyvett

Who was William Knyvett?

William Alexander Knyvett was a British track and field athlete who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics.

He was born in Jessore, British Raj, modern-day Bangladesh. He was the son of A. V. Knyvett CIE and he followed in his father's footsteps as a member of the Bengali Police.

Reaching the semi-finals of the 110 metre hurdles competition, he finished with the second fastest time overall of all the semi-final heats. Nevertheless, as he was second in his heat, he was eliminated. The winner of his heat, Forrest Smithson of the USA, went on to win the Olympic Gold Medal in the final.