Born in
Bolton, Holmes was one of Britain's top sprinters in the late 1930s. He finished second behind
Tinus Osendarp in the 100 yards event and second behind
Arthur Sweeney in the 220 yards event at the
1936 AAA Championships. One month later he was selected to represent
Great Britain at the 1936 Olympic Games held in Berlin, where he was eliminated in the quarter-finals of the
100 metres event at the 1936 Summer Olympics. In 1937, he won the
1937 AAA Championships 100y in 9.9 seconds and both sprints at the World University Games. Holmes represented
England at the
1938 Empire Games, where he won the gold medal in the 100 yards contest in 9.7 seconds and in the 220 yards event in 21.2 seconds. He was also a member of the English relay team which won the silver medal in the 4×110 yards competition. Holmes became the
national 220 yards champion after winning the British AAA Championships title at the
1939 AAA Championships. Personal Bests: 100y – 9.7 (1938); 100 – 10.5 (1939); 220y – 21.2 (1938). == References ==