CT Van Geyzel- The First Olympian From Ceylon

Twenty years before the events of Duncan White, there was a High Jumper for Great Britain with Cambridge Colours who was also the first High Jumper from his country of birth to clear 6 feet. He is none other than Carl Theodore Van Geyzel, the first Ceylonese to participate in the Olympics!

An All Round Sportsman from Royal College

Born today in 1902, he is the son of C.T. Van Geyzel Sr. (the Royal College captain of the famous '9 run match' at the Royal-Thomian) and was a well-rounded sportsman at Royal College, who excelled in Cricket, Rugby and Athletics.

He holds the distinct record of scoring the first double century for Royal College (202 runs) against St. Benedict's in 1920. He also held onto 6 catches in the 1920 Royal Thomian encounter, which stood as a fielding record for 99 years until 2019.

In Rugby, he was known for his kicking skills and was part of the Inaugural CH and FC vs NCC rugby match in 1920, where he played as the Fullback.

The team card of the NCC vs CH&FC Rugby match in 1920

A Change of Colours

His sporting talent came to prominence in his days at the University of Cambridge. He started playing First Class Cricket and also broke the Cambridge record in High Jump, which was also the Ceylon national record that stood for 25 years and an Asian Record at the time.

An extract from Lambert and Butler

He was awarded a Cambridge Blue for his outstanding achievement, and though he didn't receive the same for Cricket, he managed to represent Ceylon cricket against the MCC in 1927. His brother F.C.W. Van Geyzel however, was the more established player in the team, and then came the year 1928.

CT Van Geyzel's record breaking High Jump! (Dutch Burgher Union)

Since Ceylon was under British dominion, he was able to represent Great Britain at the 1928 Summer Olympics held in Amsterdam. This made him the first Ceylonese to compete in the Olympics, but unfortunately, he did not advance into the finals or break his personal best.

His Service After Retirement

Following his retirement from sports, CT went on to become the President of the Ceylon Amateur Athletics Association for 15 years from 1952 to 1966, which makes him the longest continuously serving President in the Association of Sri Lanka Athletics.

Though he retired from sports at an early age, he was a Planter and Juror in the Puttalam District (Graston Estate, Kirimetiyana) who even went onto become a member of the Coconut Research Board as a nominated member from the Ceylon Planters' Association.

He passed away in 1971, and a trophy was named after him called the CT Van Geyzel Challenge Trophy for the National 20km Race Walk. His name often resurfaces during the School's Cricket season whenever a Cricketer from his alma mater scores big, though many will not remember him as a High Jumper during Ceylon's Colonial Era.