Editing Chariots of Fire (section)

=== Paris Olympics 1924 ===
{{see also|Great Britain at the 1924 Summer Olympics}}
In the film, the 100m bronze medallist is a character called "Tom Watson"; the real medallist was [[Arthur Porritt, Baron Porritt|Arthur Porritt]] of New Zealand, who refused permission for his name to be used in the film, allegedly out of modesty, and his wish was accepted by the film's producers, even though his permission was not necessary.<ref>{{cite web |author=Arthur Espie Porritt 1900–1994 |url=http://www.library.otago.ac.nz/exhibitions/rhodes_scholars/arthur_espie_porritt.html |title=Reference to Porritt's modesty |publisher=Library.otago.ac.nz |access-date=28 April 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051030185734/http://www.library.otago.ac.nz/exhibitions/rhodes_scholars/arthur_espie_porritt.html |archive-date=30 October 2005 |url-status=dead}}</ref> However, the brief back-story given for Watson, who is called up to the New Zealand team from the [[University of Oxford]], substantially matches Porritt's history. With the exception of Porritt, all the runners in the 100m final are identified correctly when they line up for inspection by the Prince of Wales.

Jackson Scholz is depicted as handing Liddell an inspirational Bible-quotation message before the 400 metres final: "It says in the Old Book, 'He that honors me, I will honor.' Good luck."<ref>The quoted passage is [[Books of Samuel|First Samuel]] [[wikisource:Bible (King James)/1 Samuel#2:30|2:30]].</ref> In reality, the note was from members of the British team, and was handed to Liddell before the race by his attending masseur at the team's Paris hotel.<ref name=reid>Reid, Alasdair. "Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell". ''[[The Times]]''. 1 August 2000.</ref> For dramatic purposes, screenwriter Welland asked Scholz if he could be depicted handing the note, and Scholz readily agreed, saying "Yes, great, as long as it makes me look good."<ref name=hudson /><ref>{{cite journal |title=Britain's 1924 Olympic Champs Live Again in 'Chariots of Fire'—and Run Away with the Oscars |url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20082112,00.html |journal=[[People (American magazine)|People]] |volume=17 |issue=18 |date=10 May 1982 |access-date=22 August 2009 |archive-date=13 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213235401/http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20082112,00.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The events surrounding Liddell's refusal to race on a Sunday were changed for dramatic purposes. In the film, he does not learn that the 100-metre heat is to be held on the Christian Sabbath until he is boarding the boat to Paris. In fact, the schedule was made public several months in advance; Liddell did, however, face immense pressure to run on that Sunday and to compete in the 100 metres, and was called before a grilling by the British Olympic Committee, the Prince of Wales, and other [[grandee]]s;<ref name=hudson/> his refusal to run made headlines around the world.<ref>Murray, Feg. [https://web.archive.org/web/20120111205135/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/361517352.html?dids=361517352:361517352&FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:AI&type=historic&date=Jun+24%2C+1924&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=DID+YOU+KNOW+THAT--&pqatl=google "DID YOU KNOW THAT ..."]. ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''. 24 June 1924. Full headline reads, "Did You Know That Famous Scotch Sprinter Will Not Run in the Olympic 100 Metres Because The Trials Are Run on Sunday".</ref>

The decision to change races was, even so, made well before embarking to Paris, and Liddell spent the intervening months training for the 400 metres, an event in which his times were modest by international standards. Liddell's success in the Olympic 400m was thus largely unexpected.

The film depicts Lindsay, having already won a medal in the 400-metre hurdles, giving up his place in the 400-metre race for Liddell. In fact, [[David Burghley|Burghley]], on whom Lindsay is loosely based, was eliminated in the heats of the 110 hurdles (he went on to win a gold medal in the 400-metre hurdles at the 1928 Olympics), and was not entered for the 400 metres.

The film reverses the order of Abrahams' 100m and 200m races at the Olympics. In reality, after winning the 100 metres race, Abrahams ran the [[200 metres]] but finished last, [[Jackson Scholz]] taking the gold medal. In the film, before his triumph in the 100m, Abrahams is shown losing the 200m and being scolded by Mussabini. During the following scene in which Abrahams speaks with his friend Montague while receiving a massage from Mussabini, a French newspaper clipping shows Scholz and [[Charley Paddock]] with a headline stating that the 200 metres was a triumph for the United States. In the same conversation, Abrahams laments getting "beaten out of sight" in the 200. The film thus has Abrahams overcoming the disappointment of losing the 200 by going on to win the 100, a reversal of the real order.

Eric Liddell actually also ran in the 200m race, and finished third, behind Paddock and Scholz. This was the only time in reality that Liddell and Abrahams competed in the same finals race. While their meeting in the 1923 [[Amateur Athletic Association|AAA]] Championship in the film was fictitious, Liddell's record win in that race did spur Abrahams to train even harder.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://content.ericliddell.org/ericliddell/recollections/content/arthurmarshall.htm |title=Recollections by Sir Arthur Marshall |publisher=Content.ericliddell.org |access-date=28 April 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090215092135/http://content.ericliddell.org/ericliddell/recollections/content/arthurmarshall.htm |archive-date=15 February 2009 }}</ref>

Abrahams also won a silver medal as an opening runner for the [[4 x 100 metres relay]] team, not shown in the film, and [[Aubrey Montague]] placed sixth in the [[steeplechase (athletics)|steeplechase]], as depicted.<ref name=aubrey />