The decision made by Scottish runner Eric Liddell at the 1924 Olympics — whether he, as a devout Christian, would compete on the Sabbath — was not made right before the Games.
The film suggests that he was informed of the scheduled 100-meter finals as he boarded the boat that was taking the British delegation to the Paris games. In fact, he knew of the schedule months in advance—and soon after, in the face of immense pressure, informed British Olympic officials that he would be honoring the Sabbath. News of his decision made headlines around the world, as depicted in the movie. (Interestingly, a scene that does seem to be a writer’s creation—Liddell being knocked down during a race, only to get up and win—hews very closely to a real event.)
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnCkEaoTR4U]