"It had always been a British preoccupation to hold this mile record"

This quote by Roger Bannister is referring to the four-minute mile record. It was an enduring goal of British professional athletes to break the four-minute mile record, and it had actually become a preoccupation of the British people. The record had actually been held by Swedish professional athlete Gunder Hägg considering that 1945, and the British had actually been attempting to break it since. The record was seen as a symbol of British athletic prowess, and the British people were determined to break it. Bannister's quote is a testament to the devotion of the British individuals to climax and to show their athletic superiority. It was a goal that had been pursued for many years, and it was lastly attained by Bannister in 1954. The four-minute mile record was a symbol of British pride, and it was a preoccupation of the British individuals to break it.