Emil Zátopek

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Emil Zatopek (born 1922), a Czech runner, was the first and only man ever to win the "triple crown" of the 5,000-and 10,000-meter races as well as the marathon in a single Olympics. He is considered to be one of the creators of interval training, a method that is still used by athletes today.

Emil Zatopek was born on October 19, 1922, in Koprinivince, Czechoslovakia. His father was a carpenter who raised eight children. Zatopek began running at the age of 16, when he was working in the Bata shoe factory. In 1941, the shoe factory sponsored a race through the streets of the town of Zlin. Zatopek had never competed before and did not want to run in the race, but was forced to by his employer. As Richard Benyo noted in The Masters of the Marathon, "He finished second, probably motivated more by the desire to get it over with than the wish to shine in the event."

Zatopek ran a few more races in the next year, but was not passionately interested in running. However, coaches and trainers marked him as a talented young runner. In his first official race, a 3,000-meter run, he came in second only to his trainer. A newspaper reported, "A good performance by Zatopek." He read that line over and over; it was the seed of all his future ambitions in running. When Russia invaded Czechoslovakia during World War II, he joined the army. Instead of running on roads, he ran in his army boots during his guard duty, training every day regardless of weather, and using a flashlight to run in the dark if necessary.

The Helsinki Olympics

In 1952, the Olympic Games were scheduled to be held in Helsinki, Finland. They were the subject of a great deal of speculation because athletes from the Soviet Union and its satellite countries would be participating for the first time since 1917. It was the time of the Cold War, and tension between the Communist governments and the United States was high. The countries diverted their mutual competition into the Games. At the Olympics, however, athletes from behind the Iron Curtain and those from the West coexisted peacefully, inviting each other into their quarters and competing with honor.

Zatopek was the star of the track events that year. At the previous Olympics held in London in 1948, he had won a gold medal in the 10,000-meter race and a silver medal in the 5,000. In Helsinki, Zatopek won the 10,000 meters with ease, setting a new Olympic world record by almost 43 seconds. In the 5,000, he was trailing until the final turn, where he sprinted and won by a little less than a second, setting another Olympic record.

Zatopek's wife, Dana Zatopkova, was also an athlete. After he won his second gold, he loaned the medal to her just before she began competing in the javelin throw. She put it in her bag for good luck, and with her first throw, set a new Olympic record and won the event.

Zatopek had never won a marathon before, but buoyed by his two wins, announced that he would compete in the Olympic marathon, three days after the 5,000-meter race.

"The Beast of Prague"

He was not a graceful runner, and was famous for his horrifying style. Newspapers called him "The Beast of Prague," "The Czech Express," and "The Human Locomotive, " because of his distorted appearance while running. As Charlie Lovett wrote in Olympic Marathon: A Centennial History of the Games' Most Storied Race, "Each step for the Czech runner looked as though it might be his last. His face was constantly contorted as if in terrible pain, his head rolled wildly, and his arms were held high, as if to clutch at his heart. Anyone who watched Zatopek run for a few steps would assume he was on the point of collapse. And, anyone who had run a marathon knew that such a style wasted valuable energy and was not likely to lead to completion of the race, much less victory. Zatopek, however, was not a runner who dealt in likelihoods."

Benyo wrote, "His style has been described as similar to a man just stabbed in the heart, his head would roll back as though his eyes were attempting to see over the top of his head, his tongue would loll out of his mouth, and an expression of pain would cross his face as though he were about to drop to the ground from a mortal wound. His arm movements were spastic, one would drop so low that it appeared as though he were trying to scratch his knee. Each step appeared to be torture." Despite his unusual style, he was known for his good humor, enthusiasm, and love of running; Benyo described him as "charming, warm, intelligent, guileless and totally unaffected by his fame as well as undaunted by his frequent turns of fortune."

Zatopek was well-known as one of the inventors of a system of training called "interval training," which is still used by athletes. In this system, a runner covers a short distance very quickly, then rests while running more slowly, then runs the distance again, rests again, runs again, and so on. This training builds speed and endurance, unlike running long distances at a steady pace, which builds only endurance. It was his interval training that made him feel he would be able to compete in the marathon; he would be the first runner ever to attempt to win the 5,000, 10,000, and marathon in a single Olympics.

The Helsinki Marathon

At the marathon, Jim Peters of Great Britain, who held the world record with a time of 2:20:42, was expected to win. Zatopek had never run a marathon before and didn't know much about pacing in the race, so he decided it would be simplest to stay close to Peters throughout the race. Before the race, he introduced himself to Peters. Peters knew Zatopek well, since at the 1948 Games in London, Peters had lost the 10,000 by such a great distance that he was still on his last lap of the track when Zatopek passed him on the victory lap. Peters had not forgotten this embarrassment, which at the time had caused him to temporarily retire.

Peters was out in front at the beginning of the race, with Zatopek not far behind. Peters, like Zatopek, trained with speed, and almost immediately was 100 yards ahead of everyone else. Zatopek was intimidated by Peters's speed, but doggedly kept Peters in sight. At the halfway point he asked Peters, in English, if the pace was too fast. Reports differ on Peters's answer; some say that he joked that in fact it was too slow, and others say he said it was just right. Zatopek asked again, and Peters, apparently annoyed and not wanting to talk, moved to the other side of the road. According to Lovett, Zatopek later said, "It is a sign of dis-harmony, of losing too much energy when someone gets nervous like that. I said to myself, [the pace] must not be right."

He was correct. Peters soon tired and began to slow. Zatopek and Swedish runner Gustaf Jansson continued on at a fast pace. British runner Stan Cox collapsed at the halfway point and was taken away in an ambulance. At the 20-mile mark, Peters also dropped out and was taken back to the stadium in an ambulance so he could watch the finish. In the last few miles, Zatopek pulled ahead of Jansson, and entered the stadium and his final lap to the roar of a huge crowd chanting his name. Not only had he won an amazing triple victory - the only man ever to pull off such a feat - but he had also set a new Olympic Marathon record in his first try at the 26.2 mile distance. He had beat the record by more than six minutes, an amazing feat.

By the time the second runner crossed the finish line, Zatopek had already greeted his wife, changed his clothes, and was halfway through eating an apple. Despite this gap, Zatopek had set such a fast pace that all six top finishers beat the previous Olympic record. After that day, he was so exhausted that he could hardly walk for a week. However, he was already looking forward to the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, Australia.

The 1956 Olympics

In Australia, Zatopek did not even compete in the 5,000 or the 10,000. He concentrated on the marathon. By now he was 34, considered somewhat old for an Olympic runner. He had trained hard, sometimes even running with his wife on his shoulders. The extra weight gave him a hernia. Doctors performed surgery on him and advised him not to enter the marathon. But he entered anyway.

Perhaps because of his poor health, Zatopek came in sixth in the event. The first-place finisher, French-Algerian Alain Mimoun O'Kacha, cheered him as he neared the finish and gave him a warm embrace, saying later that Zatopek's hug was better than the gold medal.

Retirement

Zatopek competed a few more times in shorter races, but then retired from competition. Despite the fact that he only ran the marathon twice and only won once, he is still considered one of the great long-distance runners. Because Zatopek's running successes had brought favorable attention to Czechoslovakia, he was promoted in the Czech army. Although he was a Communist, he was against the government that had been set up during the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia, believing that it was merely a front for Soviet rule. In 1968, Zatopek and his wife were involved in a peaceful revolution that overthrew Soviet rule, and like many other educated Czechs, they signed a defiant statement against the Soviets, called the Manifesto of 2,000 Words. That summer, the Russians sent tanks to Czechoslovakia to stop the rebellion. Zatopek told an officer that this was unjust. When it was discovered that he had signed the manifesto, he was stripped of his army rank and thrown out of the Communist Party.

Because he was in trouble with the government, it was hard for him to find a job. Eventually he found work with a geological survey team in a rural area. He was often away from his wife for two weeks at a time, digging and carrying bags of concrete. In 1971, he was pressured by sports officials and secret police to sign a statement that he supported the government, but his situation did not change until some time later, when he was allowed to travel to a few international sports events. When he returned home after these events, however, he was sent back to his hard labor.

In 1975, the government gave him a job with the Ministry of Sport. This involved reading sports journals from all over the world and reporting back about other countries' coaching methods, so that Communist athletes could know what the enemy was doing and potentially beat athletes from other countries. In 1990, the Communist government finally fell. Zatopek reenlisted in the army. The new government apologized for his dismissal more than two decades before. He and his wife still live in the Czech Republic.

Further Reading

Benyo, Richard, Masters of the Marathon, Atheneum, 1983.

Lovett, Charlie, Olympic Marathon: A Centennial History of the Games' Most Storied Race, Praeger, 1997.

Sandrock, Michael, Running with the Legends, Human Kinetics, 1996.

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2009)

Medal record
Emil Zátopek
Competitor for  Czech Republic
Men's Athletics
Pierre de Coubertin medal		2000
Olympic Games
Gold	1948 London	10000 metres
Gold	1952 Helsinki	5000 metres
Gold	1952 Helsinki	10000 metres
Gold	1952 Helsinki	Marathon
Silver	1948 London	5000 metres
European Championships
Gold	1950 Brussels	5000 m
Gold	1950 Brussels	10000 m
Bronze	1954 Bern	5000 m
Gold	1954 Bern	10000 m

Emil Zátopek (pronounced [ˈɛmɪl ˈzaːtopɛk] (help·info)) (September 19, 1922 – November 22, 2000) was a Czech athlete probably best known for winning three gold medals in long-distance events at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki. He won gold in the 5 km and 10 km runs, but his final medal came when he decided at the last minute to compete in the first marathon of his life. He was nicknamed the "Czech Locomotive" for his multiple golds.

Zátopek was the first athlete to break the 29-minute barrier in the 10 km run (in 1954). Three years earlier, in 1951, he had broken the hour for running 20 km. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest runners of the 20th century and was also known for his brutally tough training methods.

Contents 1 Early years 2 Competitions 3 Later years 4 Family life 5 Quotes 6 Trivia 7 References 8 External links

Early years

Zátopek running

Emil Zátopek was born in Kopřivnice, Czechoslovakia on September 19, 1922, as the sixth child of a modest family. When Zátopek was 16, he began working in a Bata^[1] shoe factory in Zlín. Zátopek says that "One day, the factory sports coach, who was very strict, pointed at four boys, including me, and ordered us to run in a race. I protested that I was weak and not fit to run, but the coach sent me for a physical examination, and the doctor said that I was perfectly well. So I had to run, and when I got started, I felt I wanted to win. But I only came in second. That was the way it started."^[2] Zátopek finished second out of the field of 100. After that point, he began to take a serious interest in running.

A mere four years later, in 1944, Emil broke the Czech records for 2,000, 3,000, and 5,000 meters. He was selected for the Czech national team for the 1946 European Championships. He finished fifth in the 5K, breaking his own Czech record of 14:50.2, running 14:25.8.

Competitions

Zátopek (right) running the 5 km in the 1952 Olympics

Zátopek first entered the international athletics field at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, winning the 10 km (his second race at that distance) and finishing second behind Gaston Reiff from Belgium in the 5 km.

The following year Zátopek broke the 10 km world record twice, and went on to better his own record three times over the next four seasons. He also set records in the 5 km (1954), 20 km (twice in 1951), one-hour run (twice in 1951), 25 km (1952 and 1955), and 30 km (1952). He won the 5 km and 10 km at the 1950 European Championships and the 10 km at the next European Championships.

At the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki Zátopek won gold in the 5 km run, 10 km run, and the marathon. He also broke the existing Olympic record in each of the three events. His victory in the 5 km came after a ferocious last lap in 57.5 seconds, during which he went from fourth place to first while Christopher Chataway, now second after being overtaken by Zátopek, tripped on the curb and fell. His final medal came when he decided at the last minute to compete in the marathon for the first time in his life, and won. His strategy for the marathon was simple: he raced alongside Jim Peters, the British world-record holder. After a punishing first fifteen kilometers in which Peters knew he had overtaxed himself, Zátopek asked the Englishman what he thought of the race thus far. The astonished Peters told the Czech that the pace was "too slow," in an attempt to slip up Zátopek, at which point Zátopek simply accelerated. Peters never finished; Zátopek ran an Olympic record race.

Zátopek attempted to defend his marathon gold medal in 1956; however, he suffered a groin injury while training and was hospitalized for six weeks. He resumed training the day after leaving the hospital and never quite regained his form, finishing sixth to his old rival and friend Alain Mimoun. He retired from competition in 1957.

Zátopek (left) with Reinaldo Gorno, after the Men's Marathon at the 1952 Summer Olympics (Helsinki)

Zátopek's running style was distinctive and very much at odds with what was considered to be an efficient style at the time. His head would often roll, face contorted with effort, while his torso swung from side to side. He often wheezed and panted audibly while running, which earned him the nicknames of "Emil the Terrible" or "the Czech Locomotive". When asked about his tortured facial expressions, Zátopek is said to have replied that "It isn't gymnastics or ice-skating, you know." In addition he would train in any weather, including snow, and would often do so while wearing heavy work boots as opposed to special running shoes. He was always willing to give advice to other runners. One example he often gave was to always be relaxed and to help ensure that while running, gently touch the tip of your thumb with the tip of your index or middle finger. Just making that slight contact would ensure that arms and shoulders remained relaxed.

Grave of Emil Zátopek in Rožnov pod Radhoštěm

Later years

A hero in his native country, Zátopek was an influential figure in the Communist Party. However, he supported the party's democratic wing, and after the Prague Spring, he was removed from all important positions and forced to work in a uranium mine as punishment. On the 9th of March 1990, Zátopek was rehabilitated by Václav Havel. Zátopek died in Prague, after a long illness, in 2000 at the age of 78. He was awarded the Pierre de Coubertin medal posthumously in December 2000.

Family life

His wife Dana Zátopková (born the same day as her husband) was an outstanding athlete in her own right in the javelin throw. She won the gold medal in the javelin in the 1952 Summer Olympics - only a few moments after Emil´s victory in the 5 km run - and the silver medal in the 1960 Summer Olympics. An example of the playful relationship between husband and wife came when Emil attempted to take some credit for his wife's Olympic victory at her press conference, claiming that it was his victory in the 5 km run that had "inspired" her. Dana's indignant response was, "Really? Okay, go inspire some other girl and see if she throws a javelin fifty meters!!"

Quotes

• "Great is the victory, but the friendship is all the greater."
• "Essentially, we distinguish ourselves from the rest. If you want to win something, run the 100 meters. If you want to experience something, run a marathon."
• "I was not talented enough to run and smile at the same time."
• "It's at the borders of pain and suffering that the men are separated from the boys."
• Upon winning: "But it was the finest exhaustion I've ever felt."
• Emil Zátopek on interval training, "Everyone said, 'Emil, you are a fool!' But when I first won the European Championship, they said: 'Emil, you are a genius!'"
• When asked about his tortured expression during races, Emil Zátopek said, "It is not gymnastics or ice skating, you know."

Trivia

In 2008 a new Belgian magazine for runners called Zatopek was born. The authorization to use the name was granted by his widow Dana Zátopková. The first issues of the magazine publish a long interview with her.

References

1. ^ "All of them oddballs: Angus Calder sees the diversity of life", The National Post
2. ^ Runner's World quote webpage

External links

• Emil Zatopek at Running Times
• Emil Zátopek at Find a Grave
• Emil Zatopek Biography
• Running Past profile of Zatopek
• Archive Video of 5 km Olympic run from Runningpast.com

v • d • e List of Pierre de Coubertin medal recipients  Luz Long ·  Emil Zátopek ·  Eugenio Monti ·  Karl Heinz Klee ·  Franz Jonas ·  Lawrence Lemieux ·  Raymond Gafner ·  Tana Umaga ·  Spencer Eccles ·  Vanderlei de Lima

v • d • e Olympic Champions in Men's 5000 m 1912: Hannes Kolehmainen • 1920: Joseph Guillemot • 1924: Paavo Nurmi • 1928: Ville Ritola • 1932: Lauri Lehtinen • 1936: Gunnar Höckert • 1948: Gaston Reiff • 1952: Emil Zátopek • 1956: Vladimir Kuts • 1960: Murray Halberg • 1964: Bob Schul • 1968: Mohammed Gammoudi • 1972: Lasse Virén • 1976: Lasse Virén • 1980: Miruts Yifter • 1984: Saïd Aouita • 1988: John Ngugi • 1992: Dieter Baumann • 1996: Vénuste Niyongabo • 2000: Millon Wolde • 2004: Hicham El Guerrouj • 2008: Kenenisa Bekele

v • d • e Olympic Champions in Men's 5 miles and 10,000 m As five miles 1906: Henry Hawtrey • 1908: Emil Voigt As 10,000 metres 1912: Hannes Kolehmainen • 1920: Paavo Nurmi • 1924: Ville Ritola • 1928: Paavo Nurmi • 1932: Janusz Kusociński • 1936: Ilmari Salminen • 1948:  Emil Zátopek • 1952:  Emil Zátopek • 1956: Vladimir Kuts • 1960: Pyotr Bolotnikov • 1964: Billy Mills • 1968: Naftali Temu • 1972: Lasse Virén • 1976: Lasse Virén  • 1980: Miruts Yifter • 1984: Alberto Cova • 1988: Brahim Boutayeb • 1992: Khalid Skah • 1996: Haile Gebrselassie • 2000: Haile Gebrselassie • 2004: Kenenisa Bekele • 2008: Kenenisa Bekele

v • d • e Olympic Champions in Men's Marathon 1896: Spyridon Louis • 1900: Michel Théato • 1904: Thomas J. Hicks • 1906: William Sherring • 1908: Johnny Hayes • 1912: Kenneth McArthur 1920: Hannes Kolehmainen • 1924: Albin Stenroos • 1928: Boughera El Ouafi • 1932: Juan Carlos Zabala • 1936: Sohn Kee-chung (Son Kitei) 1948: Delfo Cabrera • 1952: Emil Zátopek • 1956: Alain Mimoun • 1960: Abebe Bikila • 1964: Abebe Bikila • 1968: Mamo Wolde • 1972: Frank Shorter 1976: Waldemar Cierpinski • 1980: Waldemar Cierpinski • 1984: Carlos Lopes • 1988: Gelindo Bordin • 1992: Hwang Young-Cho • 1996: Josia Thugwane 2000: Gezahegne Abera • 2004: Stefano Baldini • 2008: Samuel Wanjiru

v • d • e European Champions in Men's 5000 m 1934: Roger Rochard (FRA) · 1938: Taisto Mäki (FIN) · 1946: Sydney Wooderson (GBR) · 1950: Emil Zátopek (TCH) · 1954: Vladimir Kuts (URS) · 1958: Zdzisław Krzyszkowiak (POL) · 1962: Bruce Tulloh (GBR) · 1966: Michel Jazy (FRA) · 1969: Ian Stewart (GBR) · 1971: Juha Väätäinen (FIN) · 1974: Brendan Foster (GBR) · 1978: Venanzio Ortis (ITA) · 1982: Thomas Wessinghage (FRG) · 1986: Jack Buckner (GBR) · 1990: Salvatore Antibo (ITA) · 1994: Dieter Baumann (GER) · 1998: Isaac Viciosa (ESP) · 2002: Alberto García (ESP) · 2006: Jesús España (ESP)

v • d • e European Champions in Men's 10000 m 1934: Ilmari Salminen (FIN) · 1938: Ilmari Salminen (FIN) · 1946: Viljo Heino (FIN) · 1950: Emil Zátopek (TCH) · 1954: Emil Zátopek (TCH) · 1958: Zdzisław Krzyszkowiak (POL) · 1962: Pyotr Bolotnikov (URS) · 1966: Jürgen Haase (GDR) · 1969: Jürgen Haase (GDR) · 1971: Juha Väätäinen (FIN) · 1974: Manfred Kuschmann (GDR) · 1978: Martti Vainio (FIN) · 1982: Alberto Cova (ITA) · 1986: Stefano Mei (ITA) · 1990: Salvatore Antibo (ITA) · 1994: Abel Antón (ESP) · 1998: António Pinto (POR) · 2002: José Manuel Martínez (ESP) · 2006: Jan Fitschen (GER)

Records
Preceded by Gunder Hägg	Men's 5 000 m World Record Holder May 30, 1954 – August 29, 1954	Succeeded by Volodymyr Kuts
Preceded by Viljo Heino	Men's 10 000 m World Record Holder June 11, 1949 – September 1, 1949	Succeeded by Viljo Heino
Preceded by Viljo Heino	Men's 10 000 m World Record Holder October 22, 1949 – July 15, 1956	Succeeded by Sándor Iharos
Preceded by Viljo Heino	Men's One Hour Run World Record Holder September 15, 1951 – August 24, 1963	Succeeded by Bill Baillie
Preceded by Viljo Heino	Men's 20 000 m World Record Holder September 15, 1951 – August 24, 1963	Succeeded by Bill Baillie
Preceded by Mikko Hietanen	Men's 25 000 m World Record Holder October 26, 1952 – September 27, 1955	Succeeded by Albert Ivanov
Preceded by Albert Ivanov	Men's 25 000 m World Record Holder October 29, 1955 – July 21, 1965	Succeeded by Ron Hill
Preceded by Yakov Moskachenkov	Men's 30 000 m World Record Holder October 26, 1952 – October 21, 1956	Succeeded by Antti Viskari

Persondata
NAME	Zátopek, Emil
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION	Czech athlete
DATE OF BIRTH	September 19, 1922
PLACE OF BIRTH	Kopřivnice, Czechoslovakia
DATE OF DEATH	November 22, 2000
PLACE OF DEATH	Prague

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